The Right Girl
by Solo Ensemble
Summary: Johnny Zacchara & Nadine Crowell: This unlikely pair forms a unique friendship based on secret gifts, and become so much more to each other. Includes Claudia Zacchara Johnny's sister and other General Hospital characters in minor, supporting roles.
1. Prologue

**Note **– It's no secret to those who know me that I love the idea of Johnny Zacchara with Nadine Crowell, and that I've loved them since they shared scenes for 0.2 seconds at the Black and White Ball on Spoon Island. I want them together as much as I wanted Liason together back in the day when they were just two headstrong kids running into each other all around town and being told to stay away from each other. To that effect, here is my first real non-Liason fic, devoted to these two. I hope you enjoy. This is dedicated to all the folks in the Johnny & Nadine thread at the Canvas for joining me in wishful thinking.

**What You Need To Know: **  
Lulu hit Logan in the head with a wrench, he slipped into a coma, and she entered a relationship with Johnny.  
Logan is still comatose.  
Lulu and Johnny have been together for a while, a few months at most.  
The TMK has been outed and killed.  
Emily is dead, and Nikolas still has a tumor. He's back in the hospital awaiting further treatment and still has hallucinations about Emily even though he killed Diego.  
Claudia and Sonny slept together, but she uses that as a way to taunt him occasionally and is not at all obsessed with him or the idea of sleeping with him again.  
Luke is in the hospital recovering from his bypass surgery.  
Jolene and Nadine were raised by their Aunt Rayleen after their mother abandoned them, and Jolene is currently in a psychiatric ward or a rest home in New York. Nadine is trying to make amends for her damage to GH and doesn't keep in touch with her sister anymore. Aunt Rayleen is deceased.

**The Right Girl Prologue**

As she crept along the dark, dirty alley, Nadine Crowell reflected that medical school really hadn't prepared her for a career at General Hospital in the sleepy little hamlet of Port Charles. For one thing, in medical school, they never taught the students how to deal with the various underworld types that seemed to prefer to do business right outside the ICU instead of in their smoke-filled bars or strip clubs. They never taught students how to deal with hostage situations involving an injured politician, a blowhard hospital administrator, a known hitman, a pregnant woman, and an infant suffering from smoke inhalation.

And they never taught students what to do when a patient decided to up and vanish into thin air.

Nikolas Cassidine was missing from General Hospital, and all of his caregivers and friends had searched high and low for him with nothing to show for it. And though Nadine Crowell was not his official medical practitioner – she was just a lowly nurse – nor was she one of childhood Musketeer friends – she had only met the man at his Black & White Ball – she knew that the Prince needed to be found and that she was just the girl for the job.

The problem was that everyone had searched for him in all of his usual haunts. Elizabeth Webber had called her ex-husband, Nikolas's brother, and told him that his Highness was missing. She then personally called Alfred the Butler – how very Batman like! – at Spoon Island and asked him to send down orders to search the house, the stables, the trails, the entire grounds for his employer. Dr. Patrick Drake and Dr. Ian Devlin had put out a bulletin for all hospital personnel to be on the lookout for a disoriented man of medium height and build with dark hair. Robin Scorpio had gone down to the park where Nikolas sometimes took his son Spencer, but had come back alone and empty-handed.

Nadine knew better. Maybe it was because she was the most objective one of the group. Robin and Elizabeth were friends with him and knew him since he came to town, and they loved him dearly. Ian and Patrick saw him as their prime patient for their experimental treatment, their next breakthrough seminar paper that was sure to be another landmark in their already accomplished careers. Lucky Spencer was doing things by the book and trying to keep a cool head, and that was his mistake: he was too close to the case, he was too close to his brother, and he was too afraid of what Nikolas's disappearance meant.

And besides all that, in Nadine's opinion and experience, Officer Spencer wasn't that bright a man or that competent an officer to begin with.

She had gotten to know Nikolas very well during his stay at the hospital and she had a feeling he would go somewhere new, somewhere he knew no one would come looking for him. Somewhere that represented the isolation, devastation, and bleakness he felt and saw in his life. 

And in Port Charles, that meant the docks.

"Nikolas?" 

She felt kind of stupid, randomly calling out his name in the darkness, but she had to find him. His tumor had grown in size and changed its position when he last returned to the hospital after killing Diego Alcazar, otherwise known as the Text Message Killer. (Frankly, Nadine thought that reveal was cheap and anti-climactic, especially since Diego had been declared dead by all relevant Port Charles authorities. Also, she thought it was sad that Mister Jason Morgan turned out to still be responsible for his sister's death due to the fact that he was in the mob and it was his enemy that killed Emily in an act of retaliation. The whole situation had been pathetic and disappointing, and she was eager to forget it ever happened.)

Nikolas checked himself back into General Hospital once Diego's body was monitored constantly for a period of seventy-hours and it was ascertained that there was absolutely no heartbeat, no pulse, no breathing, and no brain activity going on. And there were rumors circulating that the coroner had injected Diego's body with a lethal injection once the autopsy was concluded, just to be sure that there would be no horrendous re-repeat.

Once he was back, Patrick and Ian went to work and found that his tumor was even larger. Nikolas had confided in her that his worst fears had not been realized: he could still see Emily and hold her and talk to her. She was still with him, and he was glad for her presence in the darkest days of his life as his doctors struggled for the cure.

But now Nikolas was gone again, and he had to be found before he suffered any more black-outs or hurt himself or someone else. She was fairly certain that he would be found prowling these docks, and she hoped to be the one that found him. There was something in Nikolas that responded to something in her. Elizabeth Webber told her that sometimes, Nadine reminded her of a very young Emily, and she was willing to bet that was what it was that drew out the younger version of Nikolas and helped her get through to him in his rages.

A scrap of white caught her eye and Nadine knelt on the cold ground. His hospital bracelet. She was on the right track!

She hopped up and reached for her phone, hurriedly dialing the number Officer Spencer had given her and the other hospital personnel. "Hi, Officer Spencer? This is Nadine Crowell. I'm a nurse at General Hospital? Yeah. Listen, I'm down by the docks about two blocks from the old Taylor building…no, no, I'm not calling about any mob business. No. Listen, I found Nikolas's hospital bracelet on the ground here, which means he's close by. Okay. Yeah, great. Thank you. I hope so, too. Bye."

She slipped it back into her pocket and broke into a jog. "Nikolas! Nikolas, are you here? Can you hear me?"

The alleyway turned sharply and then opened out, and she found herself looking up at the old warehouse properties. She'd never been around this part of the docks before, and she had the distinct feeling that it wasn't the safest place to be for a disoriented prince or a young nurse. 

Footsteps were approaching, and Nadine spun around so fast that she lost her footing. "Nik- Oh!"

A tall young man with dark hair came into view and lunged for her when he saw her fall, and Nadine barely had time to recognize him as Johnny Zacchara from the Black & White Ball before a hail of bullets forced them both down onto the ground. Johnny, who had grabbed her arm in an attempt to help her right herself, now tossed her down and leapt on top of her, and Nadine found herself crushed to the cold, hard ground by one-hundred-and-sixty pounds of muscle and heat.

She clung to him, her fingers fisting the lapels of his heavy black overcoat, and felt warmth surge all through her body as the adrenaline began to take over. Johnny lifted his head as the firing abated momentarily, most likely so that the assassins could reload, and quickly hauled Nadine to her feet.

"Go, go!" He slipped his arm around her waist, but she didn't even need the pull. Nadine ran as fast as she ever had, matching his pace stride for stride as they tore through the dark alleyways and put as many blocks between them and the shooters as they could before they finally slowed.

She gasped and sucked in a few rapid breaths, swaying on her feet as he looked frantically around and pulled out his phone. "You – You're Johnny Z-Zacchara."

His grip on his arm didn't loosen. "Nadine, right? From the ball at Wyndemere?"

She nodded hurriedly. "W-What happened? What was that?"

Johnny's expression remained grim, his strong features pulled into a dark scowl. "I have to get you out of here. Come with me."

He looked around once more to be sure of the direction and pulled her through the alley. She followed as best as she could, thinking that her legs would give out from underneath her if she didn't keep moving, and collided against him when he stopped. He led her to a tiny parking lot between the waterfront warehouse buildings and a black car was waiting for them.

Johnny grabbed the handle and pushed her into the car before the door was even fully open, then hopped in himself and kicked the seat for the driver to go, slamming his door securely shut as the tires squealed on the wet pavement and the car pealed out of the lot.

"Marco, take us home. Fast."


	2. 1

**Note **– I fiddled with the timeline a bit. It's late October.

**The Right Girl 01**

Nadine was shaking by the time Johnny and an armed guard dressed all in black ushered her into the Zacchara house, and it wasn't only from the frigid night temperature. He frowned down at her, noticing her pale complexion, and took hold of her wrist.

"Reivers?" He strode powerfully down the hall, looking left and right for the family butler. "Reivers!"

"Yes?" A tall, fair man with thinning dark hair and an impeccable suit stepped out of the library, but to Nadine, it seemed as if he appeared out of thin air. "Ah, young Master John. How may I help you?"

"This is Miss Nadine…"

She realized belatedly that she was supposed to speak. "Crowell."

"This is Miss Nadine Crowell," Johnny repeated, settling his hand exceedingly gently at the small of her back. "She's suffered a bit of a shock and she'll be staying at the house until I get some answers. See to it that she's served a hot meal and anything else she likes."

"Of course, sir," the man known as Reivers replied. He offered Nadine his arm, and she took it awkwardly. "Miss Crowell, please, let me show you to the parlor. You may relax there while I have our cook prepare something for you."

"I-I really couldn't eat anything," she got out, looking back and forth between Johnny, the armed guard, and this Reivers character. "Really, I'm fine. I just had some Chex Mix at the hospital, I'm all set."

"Chex Mix?" The butler looked over at his employer. "Sir?"

Johnny actually smirked, and for reasons she couldn't explain or even begin to comprehend, it irritated Nadine just a little. "Nothing, Reivers. Bits of pretzels, dried cereal, wheat crisps, that sort of thing."

The butler sniffed. "Yes, Miss, I can see how that might be…fashionable in terms of dining choice, but it's hardly sustenance. Cook is a culinary master, and we'll make sure she fixes you something heartier."

"Get her soup," Johnny suggested. "Chicken noodle soup. We have some left over, right?"

"Indeed, sir, I'll see to it immediately."

It was when he started to lead her away that Nadine dug her heels into the thick carpet. "Wait – you're leaving? If I have to stay here for my safety, shouldn't the same apply to you?"

Johnny arched a brow. "Yes, I'm leaving, and no, the same doesn't apply to me. I have to find out who was behind that attack."

Nadine gaped at him. The rumors were true: he was absolutely crazy. "But what if that's what they want you to do? What if they're waiting to finish the job? Ba-da-bing! All over your nice Ivy League suit!"

"Oh, Master John was educated at Oxford, my dear, not in any of the Ivy League universities here in the States," Reivers imparted sagely.

Johnny smirked in that particularly infuriating way of his. "She's quoting a movie. And she's being ridiculous."

Nadine scowled ferociously, and if she weren't so irritated, she would have noticed the guard behind Johnny smirking as well. "Ridiculous? I'm being ridiculous? Someone fired at us in a back alley – most likely because they wanted to kill you – and the first thing you're going to do is go right back out there? If you do it, you do it with a bull's eye on your back!"

He let out a snort and tipped his chin up, making a signal to his guard who quickly reached for the door. "Don't you know? I'm Johnny Zacchara. I've lived my whole life with a bull's eye on my back."

He stepped back and nodded at his butler. "Get her some warm clothes – her scrubs are soaked through. And make her eat something. She doesn't go home or anywhere else until I come back with some answers."

Reivers nodded and once again took Nadine's arm, a little more firmly this time. "Of course, sir. Miss Crowell? If you will come with me, please?"

She looked one last time over her shoulder as Johnny marched outside, followed immediately by two other armed guards that pulled the door securely shut. Swallowing roughly, Nadine managed a small smile for the well-meaning butler and let him lead her down the corridor.

----------------------------

"Is there anything else I can get you, Miss Crowell?"

"You can call me Nadine, like I've asked you to twenty times already," she replied sweetly, holding her cocoa between her palms to warm her hands.

Reivers gave her a smug look. "Anything else…Miss Crowell?"

That got a smile out of her and she shook her head. "You've been very kind despite my freak-outs. Thank you."

He nodded and was about to go when she stopped him.

"Er, Reivers?"

"Yes, Miss?"

Nadine pinched her lips together, her grip on her mug tightening. "When do you think I can go home?"

His gray eyes shone with sympathy. "Whenever young Master Zacchara returns and gives the order."

She nodded, dejected, and didn't even bother to smile for his benefit. "Thank you. I'll just, uh, be right here, then."

He smirked and bowed out of the room. "That you will, Miss Crowell."

Nadine waited until she heard the door click before she released a breath she didn't even know she had been holding. She set her mug down on the ornately carved coffee table only to abruptly pick it up and search frantically for a coaster. She couldn't ruin the furniture in the Zacchara mausoleum, after all.

But there were no coasters in sight and finally, she just took off her favorite white sweater, spread it flat on the table, and set her mug down on that. It was the sweater she always wore on top of her scrubs, one that her Aunt Rayleen knitted just for hers, and it had seen its fair share of stains from guava jelly in the morning to cough medicine served to her hacking, wheezing little patients, and a little cocoa on it was nothing to worry about.

She huddled back on the couch and curled her legs under her. The black sweat pants she wore were frayed at the bottom where the ankle elastic had been snipped out, and they were two inches too long for her. Still, she didn't bother to fold them up. Her t-shirt was soft and just a little fuzzy, and smelled a lot like the air before a storm. As far as hostage situations went, this one wasn't that bad: she had a tummy full of hot chicken soup and spicy cocoa, she had an entire library of DVDs in front of her, and a comfy, warm room all to herself.

Still, there was nothing she wanted more than to get out of the house of the crazy man that kidnapped her and chased her and Spinelli through Wyndemere just because she somewhat resembled Lulu Spencer.

She sighed and glanced at the massive grandfather clock in the corner. Half past midnight. She had to be at work at six tomorrow – if Johnny decided to let her go by then, of course. She could just imagine explaining her tardiness or altogether absence to Dr. Ford and Epiphany. She doubted they'd understand or be the least bit sympathetic when she pleaded 'mob difficulties.'

What was up with that Johnny kid, anyway? What was he thinking, going out right after what was probably an assassination attempt?

She hunkered down on the couch and reached for her hot cocoa, holding it close to her chest. She'd never understand that kind of logic. It was the same kind of stupidity that Lulu Spencer displayed at the ball when she went on that insane feminist rant of hers and said that they shouldn't sit in the barn like weak little women when the big, strong men were out protecting them. She had seen Elizabeth roll her eyes at that, too, and she'd never wanted to clock that girl in the head more than just then.

Nadine snorted. Johnny and Lulu were perfect for each other: they'd go out and get themselves killed all so that they could prove to each other how tough and strong they were.

As soon as the thought entered her head, she felt badly about it. She had no reason to criticize Johnny this way. It was his business what he did, and it wasn't as if she were some close friend of his to give him trusted counsel. He had been born into this business, unfortunately, and it was a safe bet to say that he knew it better than she did, and he knew how to conduct himself accordingly. The man saved her life, after all, and it was wrong of her to sit around his house and sulk and call him names.

It was very brave of him, actually. He had thrown her down on the snow and gravel and covered the entire length of her body with his, not that much of a hardship given how tall he was, but still. He pulled her up and along with him and made absolutely sure that she left the scene unharmed. And even now, he was protecting her by trusting her to remain in his house. She had seen him exhibit that kind of bravery on Spoon Island when he joined Jason and the other men in hunting down the killers and bringing the rest of the guests to safety. He was a strong and smart man, and the least she could do was not be a stupid and weak girl about the whole thing.

That was as easily said as done, because Nadine Crowell had never been a stupid or weak girl. That wasn't how her Aunt Rayleen had raised her, and that simply wasn't how she was going to act.

She hopped up off the couch and circled it, her drink still in her hands. She was going to make the most of this. That was what she was going to do. She was going to sit in the luxurious parlor in the massive Zacchara estate and she was going to be comfortable and unconcerned and entirely in her element. And when Johnny returned, he was going to find her perfectly composed and the picture of reason and sensibility, like always.

Besides, it was like her Aunt Rayleen used to say: a whistling woman and a crowing hen never come to a very good end.

(It had taken her three hours to figure out that what she meant by that was that it was important for Nadine and Jolene to just be themselves.)

"This is fine," she said aloud to no one in particular. "This is just fine. Half the people in this town have had near-brushes with death; I'm just joining the club."

Emboldened by that thought, she spun around nimbly on the balls of her feet and ended up colliding with an end table. The large, clunky jar perched on top of it teetered, tottered, and, as Nadine watched in horror, rolled off the edge and shattered on the floor sending bits of glass skittering everywhere.

She gingerly set down her cocoa, careful not to knock anything else over, and frowned at the mess. Great. She'd just destroyed what looked to be a valuable vase during her first – and hopefully, last – visit to the Zacchara house. Fabulous. She'd be buried alive in cement for this infraction.

"Leave the gun, take the cannolis," she grumbled, looking around for a wastebasket. She found one under the desk and brought it over, carefully lifting up the largest pieces of glass and depositing them inside.

There was still glass everywhere and worse, these were hardwood floors, meaning that the glass was literally everywhere. It had even gotten all into the solitary rug right by the couch where she was sitting, and she could see it glittering in the light. She supposed that she could call Reivers, the much-burdened butler at Zacchara Manor, but she didn't want anyone to see the proof of her clumsiness. She'd admit to it later on and make arrangements to pay for the damage she'd done, but right now all Nadine wanted to do was clean it up and preserve at least some of her dignity.

There were two small closets in the parlor but neither one had a broom or vacuum. Thinking that it couldn't hurt, Nadine grabbed her white sweater and headed out into the hall, hoping to find something to clean it all up with.

The first room she tried turned out to be a powder room about as big as her bedroom as a child. And while it sure smelled nice and featured many decorative soaps she'd probably be tempted to accidentally wash her hands with if she lived here, it didn't house a vacuum cleaner.

The next room she tried led into a corridor to the family's private office, and she knew better than to go in there. Someone was probably kissing a superior's ring in there or something. The next room turned out to be the entryway to the gigantic dining room, a room far too large to house the three current members of the Zacchara family. 

Nadine sighed and kept walking. There had to be a damn closet with cleaning supplies around here _somewhere_. She looked over her shoulder, thinking she heard the sound of footsteps, and let out a relieved sigh when no one surfaced. Barely thinking about it, she grasped the next doorknob and turned.

The door was yanked open and Nadine found herself staring up at a tall woman with dark, dark hair, dressed head to toe in black and she found that she just couldn't help herself: she screamed.

And then, seeing the woman's eyes widen in surprise and realizing that, duh, this was a woman and not a ghoul, she laughed.

She was still laughing when the woman crossed her arms, having gotten over her initial surprise, and arched a perfectly plucked brow at her in an expression decidedly lacking in any and all humor. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Oh." She stuck out her hand and immediately stopped laughing at herself. "Nadine Crowell. I'm a guest of Johnny's. Not by choice. Not that I'm charging him with kidnapping, I'm just…I'm Nadine Crowell."

The woman before her had to be the legendary Claudia Zacchara, the newest mob boss in town and Johnny's big sister, and she was looking down at Nadine like she was a bug stuck to the bottom of her shoe. "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

Nadine glanced down at the black, long-sleeved t-shirt Reivers had given her. "Oh, uh, your butler gave it to me. You can have it back if you want."

Claudia rolled her eyes and stepped past Nadine. "No, thanks. Keep it. I don't mind getting flashed by men, but I have to draw the line at chicks."

Nadine bit her lip as she watched the older woman walk away. "…Hey, do you know where I can find a broom and a vacuum cleaner around here?"

Claudia pointed to her left without even turning around. "Closet that way."

"Thanks!"

But Claudia had already vanished around the corner. Nadine stared after her and then, not wanting to waste any more time, hurried to retrieve the items.

---------------------------

"Oh, come on," she pleaded with the plastic monstrosity. "Now is not the time to be clogged. Why are you clogged? What have they been feeding you?"

She glanced at the specks of glass still embedded in the carpet. "Oh, yeah, right. Still, that's no excuse."

But the obstinate appliance refused to suction, and Nadine turned it off and flopped down onto the freshly swept hardwood floor next to it, laying it on its back so that she could have a look underneath.

"You're a lot of trouble for a vacuum cleaner," she murmured, testing the bristles and rollers. "I'm just going to have to dissect you, aren't I? Don't worry, I'll find out where your clog is, and then I'll put you to work."

She turned it over onto its side and twisted a hose that connected to the back, finally managing to pry it off. Sure enough, the inside compartment was clogged with fluff from the impossibly thick rugs. 

"Dr. Livingston, I presume," she mumbled, digging out as much of it as she could with her fingers. "Ew…you're really stuffed up there."

Nadine dropped a wad of fluff and dust into the wastebasket and reached her fingers into the hole again, wiggling them around in an attempt to dig out more of the clog. "Tell you what, why don't I take you out for a steak dinner afterwards?"

"You always proposition your appliances like that?"

She twisted around awkwardly to find Claudia Zacchara leaning against the doorjamb and looking down at her in thinly-veiled disdain. "…When I have my hand stuck halfway inside of them, yes. I think not doing so would make me kind of a tease at that point."

Not a single muscle flinched in an involuntary smile. "Is there a reason you're scuffing up my floor and talking to my vacuum, which you've clearly just violated?"

She struggled to stand and dusted off her hands, sending a spray of dust into the air. "Well, I was sitting here in the parlor and I decided to get up and walk around and I kind of…" Nadine glanced at the end table where the unspeakable event had occurred. "…I kind of knocked over this giant brown glass vase thing, and it shattered and it went everywhere, and I just wanted to clean it up so that I wasn't inconveniencing anyone, but your vacuum got clogged and I stuck my hand inside it and then you came and…"

She wrung her hands together and let out a quick breath. "I am so sorry for breaking it, and I promise, I'll reimburse you for it."

Claudia shrugged, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Don't worry about it. Our family attorney decorated this room – the whole house, really – and that vase was his doing. I've been meaning to break it myself, but I've had other things to do."

She pushed herself away from the doorjamb with her shoulder and, giving Nadine one last look, turned on her heel. "By the way, if you want to accidentally set fire to the curtains, go for it."

Nadine watched Claudia saunter away and then dropped right back to the floor with a huff. There must have been something in the water: it seemed as though everyone in this house was just a little touched in the head.

----------------------------------

It was three in the morning by the time Johnny Zacchara returned, cold, wet, and empty-handed. Reivers opened the door for him and moved immediately to take his muddied jacket and help him remove his boots. 

"Where is she?" Johnny wanted to know as he yanked his arms free of the sleeves and let his butler take the coat. "She's still here, right?"

"Of course, sir," he replied immediately. "The young lady is at present in the very parlor where I left her after your departure. Shall I bring her to you?"

He shook his head and headed down the hall to see for himself. "No, it's okay. She might be sleeping."

But when he cracked open the door, he found Nadine curled up on the couch with her iPod. She started when she saw him standing there and quickly hopped off the couch, yanking the buds from her ears. Johnny strode into the room, seeing no point in avoiding her now.

"You can go now," he informed her. "I'm sorry it's so late, but it couldn't be helped."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Johnny stared at her for a moment and finally shook his head. "Regrettably, no. Whoever did it was obviously trained for the job. There was nothing left other than shells. It's safe to say, though, that they were after me and that you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. What were you doing there, anyway? Don't you know that the docks are dangerous at night?"

Nadine didn't particularly like his tone, but she let it slide. The man had a lot to deal with right now; after all, he'd almost died tonight. She could hardly expect him to be all sweetness and light. "One of my patients left the hospital and I was trying to find him. Nikolas Cassidine. You probably remember him-"

"-From the ball," Johnny finished. He slipped his hands into his pockets when she nodded. "Yeah. He's my girlfriend's older brother. He lost his fiancé that night."

Nadine nodded again. "He gets disoriented sometimes and leaves, and I was trying to find him."

Johnny glanced away. "I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to."

"But I did," she replied hurriedly, not liking the grim look in his eyes. "I found his hospital bracelet on the ground and called his brother."

Johnny's obsidian eyes glittered in recognition. "So that's why there were cops crawling all over the place. God damn…"

Nadine winced. "…Sorry about that."

He shook his head, looking almost amused. "Not your fault. It was hard to keep them from seeing me and my men, but, you wouldn't believe it – they didn't even figure out that there had been a shooting in that area."

Nadine allowed him a little smile. "Actually, I do believe it. And that's the sad part."

Johnny smirked back and they stood like that for a moment until he broke the silence. "Anyway, like I said, you can go now. I have no reason to think that anyone will come after you in the future, and I wanted to thank you for cooperating while I tried to see what I could find."

She scooped up her things and allowed the men to usher her down the hall and into the foyer. "Yeah, no problem. But I'm the one that should be thanking you. For saving my life, I mean."

He shook his head. "Don't mention it. Those bullets were meant for me, and when I saw you there, I knew it was my responsibility to keep you safe. That's all there is to it."

He cleared his throat and made a signal to one of his men. "Marco here will drive you home."

"Can he drive me to General Hospital instead?" she asked hesitantly. "It's just that my shift starts in about two hours so I might as well nap in the on-call room and then get to work."

Johnny's brows furrowed. "Weren't you just at the hospital shortly before the incident on the docks?"

"I stayed past the end of my shift," she explained. "I, uh, do that sometimes. So, is it okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He'll take you back to General Hospital."

"Thanks for everything," Nadine repeated as Reivers pulled open the door. "I, uh, broke a vase while I was here, totally on accident. I told your sister about it and told her I'd reimburse her, but she seemed more concerned about the fact that I was wearing her shirt."

Johnny smirked and remained where he was as his guard gently took her elbow. "Don't worry about it. And I couldn't give you any of my clothes – you'd never fit. I'm too big."

She smiled back and adjusted her purse, and Johnny lifted a single hand in a motionless wave. "Goodbye, Nadine."


	3. 2

**The Right Girl 02**

"I think Mr. Spencer tried to pinch my ass."

Leyla shuddered, visibly disturbed, as Nadine and Regina laughed. "I'm not kidding, you guys. Stop laughing! I really do think he tried to pinch me!"

Nadine shook her head and entered her notes into the computer, still chuckling. "See? This is why I love the patients I supervise: most of them can barely even reach my ass."

"Thankfully, I'm not scheduled to pay him a visit for another…four hours." Leyla let out a relieved sigh and picked up a patient's chart. "That's when I have to give him his heart medication. Hopefully, he'll have someone to keep him company until then. I've noticed that whenever he's particularly bored, he gets particularly grabby."

"I thought I saw his wife around today," Regina replied. "She must have been by for that board meeting. Word is that they're adding a member to the board and Tracy is _not _happy."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I heard it from Dr. Quartermaine. She said that there's been a slot open for a while and someone is finally filling it, and Tracy is upset about the choice."

Nadine clicked out of her application and turned around. "Any word on who?"

Regina shook her head. "Not yet. They're keeping it under wraps. I can't figure out why – because the candidate is controversial? Sonny Corinthos is a mob boss and he's a member of the board. I can't imagine anyone more controversial than that."

"At any rate, I just hope Tracy swings by Mr. Spencer's room so that he can grab her goodies for a change," Leyla grumbled. "Even that son of his will do – anyone to keep him occupied."

"Lucky?" Regina shook her head. "I haven't seen him around here since last week."

"Unlike his sister," the other nurse murmured. "It seems like I can't turn around without bumping into Lulu. Especially these past few months."

"Well, hitting a guy in the wrench over a false assumption of him being the Text Message Killer and putting him in a coma has that effect on a girl," Regina replied dryly. "I think she's here mostly to visit Logan, even more than her father."

"I know that she feels guilty about hitting Logan in the head and causing all this," Leyla mused, "but don't you think it's weird how often she sits vigil at his bedside? I wonder how that boyfriend of hers feels about it."

Nadine glanced up from her chart. "Johnny Zacchara?"

Her friend nodded. "He's a dangerous one, too, from what I hear. And as good-looking as sin, I'll tell you that much. And so gallant and noble and gentle that you almost forget that his name comes with a bull's eye…"

Regina stared at her as Nadine tried to laugh the observation off. "I'm sorry, you've experienced his 'gallant and noble and gentle' nature first hand?"

"At the Black and White Ball at Wyndemere." She let out a wistful little sigh. "He took my hand and told me to get out, to stay out of sight, because I looked so much like his mother that the very sight of me was sure to send his father into one of his flashbacks. That was all I saw of him that night, of course, because I was too busy getting shot afterward, but the image of him always stayed with me. Pity he's being wasted on a little girl like Lulu Spencer."

"Hey," Nadine cut in, trying to ease the sternness of her tone with a smile. "Come on. She's probably really nice."

Regina and Leyla both arched their brows. "You never seemed to think so."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but that was because my first impression of her was this screaming banshee that went on a total feminine rant at the most inappropriate time and forced Spinelli to clock her. It was a stressful situation – extenuating circumstances, you guys. I'm sure she's just fine when she's normal."

Regina and Leyla both snorted and, spying Epiphany turning the corner with Cassius, quickly grabbed their charts and made to leave. "Whatever you say. See you later."

Nadine shook her head and turned back around as the elevator doors opened. She had about ten minutes before she had to be back in Pediatrics, and that was just long enough to get everything in order at the hub.

"Hey."

She heard someone rap his or her knuckles on the countertop, and Nadine looked up to see Lulu Spencer standing there. Her eyes lit up as they always did when she ran into someone that she had recently been talking about. "Hi. What do you need?"

"Uh, I'm looking for Luke Spencer's room," she replied with a polite smile. "I was told that they transferred him and I'm not, uh, sure where he is…?"

"Oh, right." Nadine quickly opened up the application and squinted at the screen. "I can help you with that. Let me just pull it up."

Lulu nodded. "So, you're, uh, Nadine, right? Nadine Crowell?"

"And you're Lulu Spencer," she replied brightly. "If you showed up in scrubs today, I would have totally freaked out."

Lulu laughed at that, remembering their identical dresses on the night of the ball. "Don't worry, they'd never let me work at General Hospital. I'd be the last person you want when you're trying to keep people calm and relaxed."

Nadine laughed at that and, feeling an unexplainable sense of kinship with the girl she'd just defended moments ago, forged ahead and did something she normally wouldn't do. "Hey, can I ask you kind of a personal question?"

Lulu's brows furrowed. "I guess so."

"You're dating Johnny Zacchara, right?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "No reason, really. I mean, I heard that you were, and I saw you around town together a couple times. He's a really nice guy."

Lulu was still nodding. "Yeah…"

"Oh." Nadine smacked her palm to her forehead and waved her hand dismissively. "Sorry, that probably sounded really weird. Like, really weird. I promise I didn't mean it to. It's just that I never once talked to Johnny since I came to town except at the ball, and then just a week or so ago, so I didn't mean it to be weird. I was just commenting."

Lulu appeared more at ease now, but was stuck on one little thing. "What do you mean, a week or so ago?"

"He saved my life," Nadine replied immediately. "He really did. He totally saved my life."

The blonde's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh – you were there when he was shot at on the docks?"

Nadine nodded. "Unfortunately, yeah. I was looking for your brother and I thought I'd find him there – which I did – but before I could get to him, these gunshots came, like, out of _nowhere _and I had no idea what to do, but Johnny got me out of there and took me to his house and handled the whole thing and I was really grateful. I didn't show it, though, I don't think. I can be bad like that. I get stupid when I'm scared, and rude, too. He probably thought that I was a real brat, but I was super grateful. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't shown up."

Lulu smiled at that. "Don't worry, he's seen me freaking out enough when things like that happen. I'm the same way – I panic sometimes when I have to deal with stuff like that. Don't worry, he's not the kind to get offended at something like that."

"Good," Nadine smiled. "Because he didn't have to stick his neck out for me and he did, and that means a lot. My Aunt Rayleen used to say that when someone did you a good turn you were tied to them until you did the same."

Lulu fidgeted awkwardly but smiled anyway.

"I think I already did him a good turn, though," she continued. "I fixed his vacuum cleaner. I'm good at stuff like that. Of course, I fixed it after I broke his attorney's vase, so…shoot, maybe I'm not in the clear yet."

Lulu arched a brow. "You fixed his vacuum?"

"It was clogged," Nadine shrugged. "See, what happened was that I accidentally knocked over a vase in the parlor or whatever room his butler stuck me in, and I wanted to clean it up but it got in the rug so I had to vacuum and the stupid thing was clogged on the inside so I had to clean it. Thankfully, Claudia didn't care. I thought she was going to eat me and spit me out in bloody chunks. I wouldn't put it past her."

That was enough to get a reaction out of her. "You met Claudia?"

Nadine paused, not sure why Lulu was so stunned. She was dating the boy, after all. "Uh, yeah. She showed up when I had my hand halfway inside her Hoover – not dirty, I swear, I like dudes – and told me that I had free reign to set fire to her curtains if I wanted. You know, when she's not scary, she's kind of funny."

Lulu pursed her lips, looking as if she'd eaten something rank, and probably would have said something if her boyfriend hadn't walked up behind her at that moment.

Johnny slipped his arm around her waist, grinning down at her when she jumped, startled, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before smiling over at Nadine. "Hey, you two."

"Hey, stranger," Nadine chirped, clicking out of her application. "Lulu, you were asking about your dad – he's in Room 402. It's kind of tricky the way it's numbered, but you'll want to go down that hallway, til the 200s end, and then make a right and the 400s will be right there. I know, it's totally screwed up."

Lulu nodded and moved away from the counter. "Thanks. See you later."

"Later," Nadine agreed, picking up her stethoscope and clipboard. "I've gotta get back to work. Have a great day, you two."

Johnny let out a contented sigh as his girlfriend pulled him down the hall, but Lulu didn't look nearly so at ease. She looked over her shoulder one last time at Nadine, who was skipping off to Pediatrics, and frowned.

He glanced down at her. "Something wrong?"

Lulu's expression remained troubled. "How come you've never introduced me to Claudia?"

Johnny cleared his throat. "Uh, well, we've been over this: Claudia's a busy woman. She's got a lot of stuff going on, especially now that she's in charge of the family. Sometimes even I go days at a time without seeing her."

"Yeah, but we've been dating for four months," Lulu reminded him, poking his side for good measure. "You've had four months to introduce me to her. Don't you think your sister and your girlfriend should at least know each other?"

He let out a sigh and nodded reluctantly. Claudia had already made it very clear to him that she didn't particularly care for Lulu Spencer, and he was lying when he said that she was too busy to meet her. The truth was that he had been doing his best to keep the two women apart these past four months because he knew that his sister would be absolutely ruthless if she met Lulu face-to-face.

"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to her, we'll see when she's got some free time."

Lulu smiled happily and snuggled into his side. "Great. I can't wait. I'm sure I'll love her."

Johnny gritted his teeth and absently kissed her crown. Yeah, Lulu loving Claudia wasn't so much his main concern.


	4. 3

**The Right Girl 03**

She had the strangest feeling she was being followed.

It was a feeling she had for the past few days, but she could never be sure. Every time Nadine turned around, it felt like someone was there, hiding in the shadows. She heard footsteps behind her, but they always stopped when she stopped, and there was never anyone there. It was the strangest feeling, and it was really starting to spook her. 

She was running late for her shift at the hospital and didn't have time to be spooked. If someone wanted to follow her, they could follow her right to General Hospital and shadow her while she administered flu vaccines. Yeesh.

Nadine slipped on her sneakers without bothering to undo the laces, grabbed her sweater, her red raincoat, her purse, and a black coffee mug filled with milk and cereal. She grabbed the spoon in her mouth and shoved her key in the lock, securely shutting her door. She slipped the keys in her pocket and headed for the stairs, jogging down and taking the steps two at a time.

She lived on the eighth floor and the elevator was out of whack again because her super was a lazy nutcase that preferred to put on at-home Broadway musicals starring his cats instead of actually maintaining his properties. So Nadine had no choice but to sloppily eat her cereal on her way downstairs. She was halfway done by the time she reached the sixth floor, and that was when she heard it.

A tell-tale _creeeeaaaaak _of a door, heavy footsteps, and then she saw him. He was tall, easily six feet if not more, and dressed all in black. He was like something out of those old-time mob movies, and she half-expected him to break out in a Frank Sinatra-esque drawl as he called her "pallie."

He appeared surprised to see her and reached out to her. That was his mistake. The coffee mug half full of cereal crashed to the floor as Nadine dodged him, looking down in horror when his hand closed around her elbow.

"Miss-"

She didn't wait long enough for him to tell her which limb she'd soon be missing. She didn't even stop to think about what she did next: she just did exactly what her old Sen-Sei taught her. She balanced her weight on the balls of her feet and kicked out with her leg, striking her attacker in the groin. The son of a bitch had been stalking her for the past few days, and she was going to take him down once and for all. The last thing this town needed was a Text Message Killer Copy Cat.

The man let out a bark of pain and fell to his knees, and Nadine dealt him a swift blow to the neck before making a break for it. She screamed in terror when his hand closed around her ankle and kicked at him again, only barely managing to escape him. She barreled out of the stairwell onto the fifth floor and dove into the first utility closet she spotted.

Heart pounding in her chest, she slammed the door shut and locked it, holding onto the knob for added security. And then she waited.

--------------------------

He was still there. The son of a bitch was still there. His clothes were rumpled, his breathing was labored, and he was leaning against the wall a few yards away from the utility closet. She could see him when she cracked the door open and he was still there twenty minutes later. The first time she opened the door to check, he was talking on the phone and actually tried to make a grab for her but she had been too quick.

He was glaring at her, and Nadine quickly shut the door. Son of a bitch.

She figured she was safe in the closet for the time being, at least until someone noticed a suspicious stranger lurking on the fifth floor and called the cops. She would have done it herself, but her carrier didn't offer service in closets. Bastards.

Presently, there was a knock on the door.

"Go away!" she yelled, gripping the metal piping section she'd found in the closet. "I've got a pipe and I'll bash your head in! …And probably give you lead poisoning!"

"Nadine."

That smooth, almost amused voice sure didn't sound like that of the man she'd kneed in the groin. And it sure didn't sound like the voice of a killer.

She was right about the first call and not the second. "This is Johnny. Johnny Zacchara."

"I…What?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Johnny? What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from one of my men and drove over," she heard him reply dryly. "You had to have known that I had a guard on you these past two weeks."

Her lips parted in surprise, and a moment passed before she could speak. "A guard? On me? What for?"

She could hear him sigh with impatience. "Gee, I don't know, maybe because someone took shots at us on the docks. I just wanted to be sure, in any event, that nothing else happened to you on my account."

"So that man in the stairwell-"

"Was one of my personal guards. He saw that you were late for your shift and was going to offer you a ride to work so you wouldn't waste as much time. It seems he got a little more in return than he bargained for."

She felt her face grow hot, and Nadine began to wish that a hole would open up in the floor and swallow her. "I am so sorry, so very, very sorry, but-"

"There's always a 'but' with you, isn't there?"

She pursed her lips into a thin line and let a few seconds pass. "But why did you put a guard on me without even asking?"

Nadine could tell she had honestly stumped him. "…I wasn't aware I had to ask your permission to protect you."

"You were the one that said that night that you didn't expect anyone to come after me again," she reminded him. "You said that my being there was just a coincidence. I'm inconsequential, really. I'm not even a part of your life. We're not even friends. Why should you waste your – your time and your resources on me? None of this makes sense!"

"I want to be absolutely sure that I'm right and that no one's after you," he answered. "And I'd prefer to have measures in place before something happens to you. Hence, my guard."

"But I don't need a guard."

He let out a sigh that sounded like a half-laugh, and she could hear him move against the door. "Well, you have one. And since your current one is now refusing to be anywhere near you – I believe he used the phrase 'rabid psychopath' to describe you – you will have a new guard as soon as your shift at General Hospital ends."

"But I don't-"

"And if you could please not send this new one's nuts up to his kidneys, that would be great." He rapped his knuckles against the door in goodbye, and Nadine could just see his impish grin. "Take care, Nadine."

The corners of her mouth tightened and curved downward, and Nadine stomped her foot. "Oooh!"

------------------------------

Her shift was over, and Nadine had just spotted her new shadow. He was taller than the first one, with dark blonde hair and a strong jaw. He wore a long black overcoat and she highly doubted that he was programmed to smile. And he creeped her the heck out.

She eyed him suspiciously and switched her bag to the other shoulder. She should probably be fair: he was probably a decent guy. And he was probably pretty good at his job. But just the idea of an armed man dogging her every step proved unsettling, and Nadine found that she just couldn't let it go.

Johnny meant well, and she would be the first to admit that it was touchingly sweet of him to put a guard on her. He still probably felt guilty about the night on the docks, even though he had no reason to, and acted on that. All she had to do was track him down and explain to him that she understood. It wasn't his fault that, in his own words, he had been born with a bull's eye on his back. He didn't purposely endanger her life – she doubted he could ever willingly endanger the life of an innocent bystander – and he treated her with extreme care and consideration afterward.

This was all just a silly misunderstanding. The Zacchara family had no business wasting its resources and manpower on her. She was nobody to them. Hell, she was nobody to anyone in this town. She was just one of the hundreds of nurses employed by General Hospital. She showed up in the morning and went home at night, alone, to her tiny little apartment and didn't say 'boo' to anyone.

She was of no consequence to Johnny and his family, and they shouldn't have to tie up one of their men with this meaningless baby-sitting job.

She nodded firmly and fished her keys out of her pocket. Then it was settled: she was going to head to the Zacchara house and talk things over with Johnny.

------------------------------

_At Zacchara Estate…_

Reivers arched a brow at the latest visitor of the Zacchara family. "Miss Crowell."

"Reivers," Nadine replied brightly. "Hi. How's it going?"

"Swimmingly, Miss," he answered dryly, ushering her into the foyer. "What may I possibly help you with?"

"I was actually wondering if Johnny was home." She pursed her lips together and shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I know I showed up unexpectedly, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I didn't know if I should call and make an appointment like at the dentist, or even who I'd call since I didn't have your number, and then I figured, what the heck-"

"Indeed," the butler smirked, gently taking her elbow and leading her down the hall to the parlor. "If you don't mind, Miss, I'd rather you didn't subject me to the inner workings of your mind. I have just eaten my supper and I tend to get queasy from all that movement."

She knew better than to be offended and smiled at that. "Okay. Sorry. My Aunt Rayleen used to say that I had more words to share than the Oxford English Dictionary."

He sniffed at that, even though his amusement was clear. "Indeed, Miss Crowell."

"…You're not much for talking, huh, Reivers?"

"I beg to differ, Miss, I'm a regular chatterbox, as you say."

Nadine chuckled and shook her head. "You should have your own late night show."

"_Rabble-rousing with Reivers_," he imparted with a sly wink. "That's what I'd call it. I'd conduct untold shenanigans. Be a ratings giant."

"I'm absolutely sure you would."

"All levity aside, however, I must inform you that Master John is not home presently, but you are more than welcome to wait for him." He gestured to the massive parlor. "You may have a seat if you like. May I bring you anything? Tea, perhaps?"

"I'm just fine," she replied. "I'll wait for a little while, see if I can catch him. If not, I'll try again some other time."

"Very good, Miss."

"Reivers!" The steady, forceful click of heels, most likely red stilettos, could be heard on the freshly waxed floors. "Call Trevors up and tell him to get his ass over here immediately. I was looking over the contracts and they're a goddamn _mess _and – Hello."

It wasn't a polite greeting – no one could ever be foolish enough to think that Claudia Zacchara would greet someone politely. Instead, it was a condescending expression of surprise as she came to a stop next to Reivers and eyed the young nurse in the red raincoat.

"Look who we have here." She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and planted one hand on her hip. "Little Red Riding Hood. Aren't you a little far from Gramma's house? I hear there's a wolf on the loose around these parts."


	5. 4

**Note **– As always, thanks for the replies. I'm glad you're liking Claudia's "ghoulish" appearances. I keep picturing her as the baddie in Scooby-Doo that always pops up everywhere. :-P The only difference is that Claudia isn't a crooked real estate dealer.

**The Right Girl 04**

"You can go now, Reivers."

The butler glanced at Nadine, then turned to Claudia and nodded. "Certainly, Miss. I'll call your attorney and tell him to report to the house as soon as possible."

Nadine held herself stiffly as she watched him depart. She ducked her chin closer to her chest and watched Claudia studiously. The older woman arched a brow at her and turned on her heel.

"Come with me."

There was no way to argue with that. Nadine trailed after her, careful to keep a good distance, and soon found herself standing in a handsomely decorated office – Claudia's, no doubt. Johnny's sister walked around a massive desk, trailing her fingers over the edge, and primly lowered herself into a leather executive chair.

"What are you doing here?"

Nadine tried not to fidget, but she really did feel like Little Red Riding Hood on trial for her life before the Big Bad Wolf. "I, um, maybe I should come back."

"Maybe you should tell me what you're doing here," Claudia replied tersely. "Have a second date with the vacuum? Or did you come to sweet-talk my blender? Because the damn thing's on the fritz and I can't have my fruit smoothies. And I get very cranky without my fruit smoothies."

"As do we all," Nadine got out quietly. "Um, actually, I was here to see Johnny. Reivers said that he wasn't in, so I figured I'd wait. I didn't mean to bother you."

"You're bothering me by not telling me exactly what it is you need from us." Claudia arched a brow at her and tented her fingers. "Well?"

She sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, see, I didn't want to bother you with this because I know you're really busy with your work so I figured I'd grab Johnny's ear for a second because frankly he doesn't scare me and-"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "You take a really long time to say nothing, you know that?"

Nadine pursed her lips together in a thin line, taking a moment to just collect her thoughts. "I wanted to see Johnny because he put a guard on me and I don't think he should have."

That got her attention. "A guard? As in one of our men?"

She nodded. "I figure that you pay your men to do a whole lot more than baby-sit a boring nurse like me. I swear, I'm like an old person. I go to work and I come home and I do very little else. Your guard would be much better served doing…whatever it is you pay your men to do."

Claudia smirked at her delicate way of glossing over the subject at hand. "So my brother put one of our personal bodyguards on you."

"Yes."

She shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. "Then he must have had a good reason to do so."

Nadine opened her mouth to contradict that, but Claudia was quicker. She got up from her seat and circled the desk once more, reminding her of a caged panther finally able to close in on its prey.

"What are you really here for?"

It wasn't the question she had been expecting, and for a moment Nadine just stared at her. "I just told you – I'm here because your family has a guard on me."

Claudia shook her head. "I don't think so. I've seen your type before, trying to ingratiate themselves with me and my family just because my soft-hearted brother did them a good turn. What's this really about?"

Nadine let out a sigh and hung her head. "Fine."

She smirked. "That's more like it."

"No, actually." Nadine shook her head. "I just get that you're a strong-willed woman, obviously, because you kind of have to be, and that you're stubborn when you think you've got something figured out. I'm the same way. And that's why I get that it's not going to do me any good talking to you about this. I came over because I originally wanted to tell Johnny that it wasn't his fault that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he shouldn't feel guilty for some freak accident and that he isn't in any way responsible for me."

She shook her head again and adjusted her grip on her bag, preparing to leave. "I wanted to tell him to take the guard back and just forget about it. If someone wanted to come after me, they would have already done so."

Claudia's eyes narrowed. "You figure?"

Nadine sighed. As scary as Claudia Zacchara could be, she just wasn't in any shape right now to partake in her mind games. "Look, I'm just a nurse. I don't have any family in this town. I don't have any family, period. I don't know that many people in this town aside from the people I work with, and I spend my day with dozens of kindergarteners and their paranoid mothers."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm of no consequence to any of you," she repeated firmly. "I'm just here trying to – trying to do right by someone who's not in my life anymore. I don't need this guard because I have no connection with your family – nor do I plan to. Honestly? I don't want anything to do with the Zaccharas."

Claudia's lips twitched. "Because we're beneath you?"

Nadine shot her an exasperated look but found herself smiling, too. "Because I've got enough crazy people in my life already, thanks. I'm not looking to add any more."

She actually let out a bark of laughter at that and, leaning back against her desk, nodded. "Okay, fair enough."

Nadine eyed her suspiciously. "Seriously? You're not offended by that? I called your family crazy."

"I've called them so much worse," Claudia shrugged with a smile. "Besides, you called your family crazy, too. And that makes me think you've had to deal with their craziness, and you're not the one to start up drama or problems on your own."

"I'm not." Serious now, she inched a little closer to the older woman and dropped her bag on one of the chairs in front of the desk. "I've seen the people I care about make horrible mistakes, and I always tried to do my best not to put myself in a position where I could cause anyone pain or hurt like that. My Aunt Rayleen used to say that if your foresight was as good as your hindsight, we'd all be better by a far sight."

Claudia stared at her, and Nadine felt herself blush.

"She was my Aunt Rayleen."

She nodded, not looking particularly interested. "I gathered."

"Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you'd consider taking the guard off me." She laced her fingers together and shifted her weight to her left foot. "It's just that…I'm sure he's a really nice guy, but he showed up while I was at the hospital, and it's just really awkward. Plus, Dr. Ford made a huge thing about him being armed and in the hospital and one of my kids freaked out when she saw him lurking outside her room while I was trying to give her a shot and all the other nurses – you know how people can be. I just don't want people to think that I'm in any way connected to your family, or to your brother."

She let out a sigh and rubbed her hand over her face. "God, the next thing I know, they'll be saying that we're sleeping together or something, and I _really _don't need that."

She stopped when she realized she just said that aloud, and when Nadine peeked out from between her fingers, she saw Claudia's shoulders shaking with laughter.

Oh, great. "Sorry. I-I'm sorry. It's nothing against your brother. I just say things without thinking sometimes."

The older woman sat back on her desk and crossed her legs. "Tell you what. I'll dismiss the guard. If John notices, I'll take it up with him. If he doesn't, that's it."

She let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you. Oh, seriously, thank you so much. And I promise, I'm not going to make a habit of showing up at your house. This is probably the last time I'll even set foot here. I know you're busy with your…your…coffee business?"

Claudia smirked. "That's Corinthos and Morgan."

Nadine winced. "Um…government contracts?"

Her smile grew. "The brothers Alcazar."

"…Sunshine factory?"

Claudia snapped her fingers. "That's the one."

She smiled and picked up her bag, not wanting to waste any more of her time. "Great. Thanks again, by the way. I'll, uh, see you around town, I guess."

She was halfway to the door when Claudia's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Hold it."

Nadine turned slowly, dreading the next exchange. "…What?"

"Come back here."

She swallowed roughly and did as she was told, even setting her things down on the chair again so Claudia felt she had her full attention. 

"You said Johnny felt responsible for the shooting on the docks," she said, her expression growing suspiciously wicked. "Like he owed you for almost getting you hurt."

Nadine nodded, wishing she knew the answer that would get her out of her the fastest. "Yeah."

"What about you?" Claudia tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Do you feel like you owe him?"

She considered it and went with her honest reply. "Yeah, I really do. No one's ever saved my life before, and Johnny did it like he wasn't even thinking about it. He's not the kind of guy that needs anything, though, you know? It's like buying a birthday gift for a rich kid: they already have everything, so what are you supposed to do for them? Those are awkward parties, let me tell you."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Is that your way of saying that if you could repay him, you would?"

Nadine nodded. "Yeah, I would."

"No questions asked?"

Oh, that could not be good. "Uh…"

"Tell you what we're going to do," Claudia smiled, hopping off her desk and taking a step closer to Nadine. She towered a full head above her, and Nadine could tell that she was a woman who was familiar with using physical intimidation to get what she wanted.

"You owe Johnny, and I'm going to collect for him."

Oh, God, this was it. She was going to lose one of her thumbs.

"H-How?"

"We have a mob doctor," Claudia started, "and he's always on call in case something happens to me or Johnny or Trevors. He gets in his little car and drives right over. But sometimes, things come up where our men are hurt. Nothing serious – just flesh wounds and the like. All they need are clean bandages and antibiotics, and I don't like to wait when one of my men gets hurt."

Nadine bit her lower lip. "So what are you saying?"

"You're going to be our girl on the inside," she informed her. "If you get a call, you will report to Zacchara Estates immediately with bandages and antibiotics and whatever else the situation calls for. You will patch my men up and do it discreetly – no pesky police reports. Got it?"

Surprisingly, that didn't sound that bad. And even though she had wanted not to be associated with the family in any way, Nadine supposed that she could be discreet about it until Claudia let her off the hook. "Uh, yeah, okay. I'll do it."

"Good girl," she smirked. "It'll be for about a month until we can move our doctor closer. Maybe get him in-house, if that works out."

"You mean, living with you?"

Claudia scowled. "I hate it when people prowl around this house. It's just me and John and the help, and I like it better that way. It's why I kicked Trevors out on his ass. The viper just got a room at the MetroCourt instead. Maybe I can have the place torched…that'd be amusing for a while. Let him scramble for better digs."

Nadine pursed her lips together, not sure how she should reply to that. "Something for your To Do List. Or your…To Hit List. Do you have a To Hit List? Like, for the people that you have to bump off?"

Claudia's cool eyes slid over to her meet hers. "Oh, yeah. You have to have a list: too many marks to keep in your head."

She let out a little cluck. "I _knew _it."

"It's in the kitchen, right on the fridge," Claudia continued, flicking her wrist toward the hallway. "It's up next to the grocery list. It gets confusing, though. One time I put Oberweis on the Hit List, thinking it was the grocery list – we always order Oberweis milk – and my enforcer nearly took out the state senator of the same name before I set him straight."

Nadine grinned and hung her head, feeling incredibly foolish all of a sudden. "You're mocking me."

Claudia's lips twitched. "You make it so damn easy, who wouldn't?"

"Claudia, hey, if you had a minute, I was thinking…"

Johnny walked in with Lulu on his arm, expecting to find his sister alone in her office, and stared at Nadine, who was still grinning from his sister's ridiculous fib. Lulu had a soda cup from the movie theatre in her hand and stopped slurping it in order to do the same.

"What-" Johnny looked at his sister, who was also smiling, and then back at Nadine. "What are you doing here? With her?"

Then, thinking better of it, he let out a groan. "Claudie, what did you do?"

"She didn't do anything," Nadine interjected quickly, shooting the older woman a sly look as Lulu started to glare. "She just illuminated my very narrow understanding of…The Sunshine Factory."

Claudia shrugged modestly, instantly picking up on the fact that her brother's little girlfriend looked a tad annoyed to find Nadine in her study. "It's what I do."

Johnny wasn't buying it. "I want to know what's going on right now. Nadine, did she threaten you in any way? Sometimes, she can't help herself."

Claudia made sure to grin widely as she stepped closer to Nadine, giving her what almost passed as an affectionate bump with her shoulder. "Why would I threaten Vacuum Girl?"

Her brother rolled his eyes. "Her name's Nadine."

"She didn't threaten me in any way," the woman in question repeated. "She was a very big help, in fact."

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "In what way?"

"Oh, I don't know," Nadine smiled, picking up her coat and purse. "I think I'll just leave that for you to figure out on your own. Hey, Lulu, it's good to see you."

"Yeah." Her reply lacked Nadine's warmth. "You, too."

"Claudia, thank you very much." She put on her red hood, knowing that she looked absolutely ridiculous, but also knowing that it was raining cats and dogs out there. "You're only half as scary as people say you are."

"Don't let it get out," she called out, flashing Nadine a giant grin just because she liked how it seemed to annoy the Spencer brat. "And remember your end of the deal. I'll be in touch."

"Goodnight." She waved one last time and then turned her back, smiling up at Reivers when he opened the door for her. "Good luck pitching your talk show. Night."

Claudia's grin didn't fade until Nadine had left the house, and then she turned to her brother and his insufferable little girlfriend with a decidedly cool look. "What? This better be important, because I'm busy."

Johnny wrapped an arm around Lulu's waist, ushering her forward. "It just hit me that even though Lulu and I have been dating for a few months, you never really got to know her. And that's kind of my fault: I should have introduced you a lot sooner."

Lulu beamed up at him and then smiled at Claudia. "Hi. I'm Lesley Lu Spencer, but everyone calls me Lulu. I've heard a lot about you."

Claudia stared at her, her expression giving nothing away, then gave her brother a sweet smile. "I thought you'd be home sooner, John. What happened?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, looking back and forth between his sister and his girlfriend. "Uh…Lulu and I decided to catch a movie after dinner."

She nodded and sat back in her seat, lifting her legs onto the corner of the table and crossing her ankles in a deliberate gesture of disrespect that Lulu was too smart to be indignant about. "Ah. Hope you had a good time."

"We did," Lulu replied brightly. "It was the new Keira Knightly flick that's out now."

Claudia wrinkled her nose. "You went to a chick flick, John? Ugh. I am so sorry."

Lulu's brow furrowed. "Actually, it's not-"

"Tell you what, there's a Jane Austen marathon on one of the public stations tonight," Claudia smiled at the girl. "Why don't you take John to see that? I've got some contracts to go over."

"Claudia, what the hell do you mean, calling me up at-"

She looked past Lulu and smiled cattily when she spotted her irritated attorney standing in the doorway to her office. "Oh, look, Trevors is here. And he's going to explain to me what the hell was up his ass when he went over these contracts."

She slammed the files down on her desk and waved her hand in Lulu's face. "Why don't you guys go see if there's anything in the kitchen? Let the grown-ups talk."

Johnny took Lulu's hand and gently pulled her back. He knew this was going to happen but thankfully, Claudia had taken pity on him and not ripped into Lulu. "Come on."

"Miss Zacchara?" Reivers rapped his knuckles on the door and looked expectantly at his employer. "I have Miss Crowell's cellular number, as you requested."

Claudia made sure to smile brightly for Lulu's benefit as he crossed the room and handed her the card. "Thank you so much, Reivers. I'm going to program her into my phone right now before I lose this."


	6. 5

"Since when did you and Nadine become such good friends anyway?"

Claudia looked up from the apple she was slicing. "Who?"

Johnny arched a brow at her. "Nadine."

She clearly wasn't following.

He let out an impatient sigh. "You know, Nadine Crowell. The one you were fawning over when you couldn't give Lulu the time of day. Blonde, nurse, someone you'd normally consider irritatingly chipper?"

"Oh." She popped a thin sliver of the fruit into her mouth and nodded. "Vacuum girl."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "Claudia…"

"It's not so much that I like her," Claudia replied, waving her knife in the air for emphasis. "She's weird and she talks too much. She takes forever to say nothing."

Johnny smirked and bit into his cannoli. "I bet you told her that much, huh?"

His sister shrugged. "Pretty much."

"So? What was the deal tonight?"

"Like I said, it's not so much that I like her…" She grinned cheekily and bit into another slice. "It's just that I like that my appearing to like her is something Boo-Hoo Spencer _doesn't _like."

His lips thinned. "It's Lulu and you know it."

Claudia shrugged irreverently. "Didn't hear her complain."

Johnny stared at her, exasperated. "She's not even here! She left an hour ago!"

"Thank God. I'd have stomped her over-sized head in with my shoe if she hadn't."

"You practically chased her out!"

"Did I?" She popped another sliver of the apple into her mouth and smirked. "That was good of me."

Johnny rolled his eyes and set his half-eaten cannoli down on the plastic wrap he'd torn off the tray. He dusted his hands and turned on his heel, and he would have stalked out of the kitchen had his sister not realized that, unfortunately, he had reached his limit and was fed up with her.

"John, John, okay, fine," she called out, hopping off the counter. She finished cutting another sliver of her apple and offered it to him, still on the knife, as an olive branch. He reluctantly took it and popped it into his mouth, and she resumed cutting up the rest of the fruit. 

"I don't like her."

He arched a brow. "Could've fooled me."

When she remained silent, Johnny let out a sigh. "Are you gonna tell me why not, or just leave it at that?"

Claudia sighed and tapped the blade of her knife against the black marble countertop, flown in all the way from San Gimigniano. "You're too good for her."

He let out a bark of laughter, and it hurt that he seemed genuinely amused. "Okay, I have to give you points for originality because I have never heard that one before."

She rolled her eyes, choosing to table this glimmer of his self-loathing…for now. As much as she hated to admit it, they weren't at that point in their relationship where she could pick up and be his big sister again and tell him what a good boy he was.

"You're too much of a man for her," she reiterated, mostly because she knew John wouldn't believe her if she insisted that he was a good guy. "You have to be, being a part of this family. You're mature, you're smart, you're level-headed, you're practical, you're perceptive, you see things in people that people try to hide. And everything I just said is radically opposed to all that Boo-Hoo Spencer is."

His obsidian eyes glittered in warning. "Claudia…"

She made a face as if she'd just sucked a lemon, but relented. She was nothing if not a woman that knew how to pick her battles. "Lulu."

Johnny dipped his head once. "Thank you."

"She's a little girl, John," Claudia said softly. "She's weak. She doesn't know what she wants. She claims she was head over heels in love with that Logan kid and she clubbed him in the head and gave you what I am assuming had to be the worst freaking sex of your life-"

"Claudia!"

"Oh, give it up, I know what little boys are made of," she snorted. "My point is that a woman who plays musical penises like that can't be trusted."

His eyes glittered harshly. "I can trust Lulu."

"Maybe you can," she allowed, "but maybe you can't. Everyone has their baggage, John. Everyone has their bad habits, their neuroses, their demons. Their poisons. If she did it to that guy Logan, why can't she do it to you?"

He turned his back on her and let out a sigh. "She's not like that. We mean more to each other than that."

"You've barely known her for half a year," Claudia reminded him. "I don't even drive one car that long."

"Are you done?"

She sensed his impatience with her but couldn't back down. "Actually, no. She's weak, like I said. She can turn on you, like I said. She's certainly established precedent for that. She's nosey. She feels entitled, like everything is somehow her business and that the world will benefit from her sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Like how she poked and prodded you until you caved and introduced her to me."

"It wasn't like that," Johnny protested lamely. "It was my idea."

Claudia snorted. "Know how I know it wasn't your idea? Because you already knew I didn't like her. No, honey, that was all her. And I can promise you one thing. If she pokes her nose around in my business or the family business? I will break it off and mail it to her dad in a jeweled box."

He turned around and rolled his eyes. "No need for drama or idle threats, Claudia."

Her small smile grew, widened, and her eyes glittered. "My threats are never idle, John."

Silence stretched between them as each Zacchara child was reminded just how vast the distance between them was. Years separated them. Mothers separated them. (Well, it was more like a father that separated them, but that was hardly as poetic.) And unfortunately, experience separated them.

Johnny had been born to inherit this family's legacy, born to run the organization and carry it and pass it down. She had been given a legacy from her mother's side, by her loving uncle in Milan. She had control over it. She made the decisions, all of them. She wasn't a pawn like Johnny had been. She wasn't helpless and trapped like he was.

"She's shrill, she's domineering, she's wishy-washy, and she likes to go out and make trouble," Claudia continued. "She's one of those girls that gets off on it. She wants to go out and make trouble and get herself in all these adult situations, and she can't quite carry herself as an adult so she acts like an immature little shrew and then the men in her life have to rescue her, and the whole time she resists them and makes things worse all so that she can still come off looking independent and ball-busting."

Her little brother shook his head. "Okay, I know you don't care enough about her to do your homework and research her past, so I'm going to say that all that was pure postulation on your part. You don't have a bit of evidence to back it up."

Claudia shrugged. "Okay. She looks like a horse."

Johnny's jaw dropped. "…She does not! How could you even-"

"Yup, great big old stomping Clydesdale," she continued. "Or maybe one of those great big, bulky Belgian draft horses."

"You're being ridiculous."

"I can't believe you can't see the resemblance," she exclaimed, grinning when he slammed his palms against the counter in irritation. "She doesn't walk, John, the girl clomps. She clomps in and out of every room, she's always snorting like a horse, and she's always flicking her hair over her shoulder like horses flick their tails when flies try to go up their ass. She's a freaking Clydesdale."

"You're being ridiculous," Johnny repeated, "which tells me that you've run out of legitimate reasons and are just having fun ripping her down."

"I always have fun ripping down the people I dislike, legitimate reasons or not," she informed him pertly. "And you want to know what I dislike most about the little banshee?"

"I wait with baited breath."

"She's got this huge chip on her shoulder," Claudia said, wondering now if the same words could be turned around and aimed at her.

"She's had a really difficult life," Johnny defended in such a way that Claudia wanted to laugh. John, the boy that was got a gunshot wound before he got his first kiss, the boy that watched his father kill his mother and everyone that tried to help him, was telling her that little Screw Lu had a hard life – and he actually seemed to believe it!

Fucking hilarious, if it wasn't so pitiful.

"Her family was always on the move, her dad was never around, her mom went catatonic, her brother got addicted to pills, she had to have an abortion…"

"Boo fucking hoo," Claudia interrupted loudly. "She acts like the world owes her something for all the problems she's had to face. If she wasn't such an immature little shrew, she'd understand that everyone has problems. And there's nothing fair about the way they're dealt out, and there's nothing you can do to get a better hand. You either fold and go under, or you call life's bluff and prevail."

"Poker metaphors? Are you seriously kidding me?"

She shook her head and tucked back a loose lock of hair that escaped her casual ponytail. "You know what? It's fine. You're all defensive and sullen now, so, fine. You're not going to listen to anything I say right now because you're worked up, no matter how much sense I'm making."

"You're not making any sense!"

She shrugged. "Fine."

He glowered at her and drummed his fingers on the countertop. "You just want me away from Lulu."

Claudia offered him a half smile. "You caught that part, huh? I was afraid I'd have to tattoo it on my forehead before you got a clue."

"Claudie…"

"Fine, fine, I'll stop. That's it for tonight, swear."

Johnny let out a sigh, almost as if he was afraid to believe her. The cannoli's gone, he left the tray and wrapping where it was and turned, padding out of the kitchen on bare feet. He paused at the door and looked over his shoulder.

"She's not that bad, you know."

His sister smiled sweetly at him and popped another sliver of apple into her mouth. "Oh, silly, of course she is."

Johnny groaned and left the room, shaking his head when the sound of her laughter followed him.

-------------------------------

He was getting ready for bed when there was a knock at the door. Johnny dropped his brush in the holder, wiped his mouth on a towel, and shuffled out into the bedroom. His room was massive, and he passed through the changing room and followed the short hallway down to the door.

"Yeah?"

Claudia was on the other side and she pushed herself away from the doorjamb with her shoulder. "Good, you're decent. I almost barged in like I used to when you were little."

"A few things have changed since then," Johnny smirked, shaking his head. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you about this earlier, but I was trying to impart my wisdom about other, more important, Clydesdale-esque things and forgot."

He rolled his eyes. "So keep me in suspense, why don't you?"

"I need you to start taking a guard with you whenever you go out," she started seriously, grabbing his wrist when he groaned and started to turn around. "I'm serious, John. Please."

He looked down at her, his eyes narrowing when he saw her start to bite her lower lip. Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at him, and her arms were folded almost defensively around her middle.

"…This thing's really got you scared, huh?"

She let out a short breath, as if exasperated by his density, and reached out to give him a painless, affectionate slap on the cheek. "You're my little brother. Of course I'm going to be scared if something happens to you."

"Nothing did," he pointed out.

"Something could have," she returned without missing a beat. "John, someone took shots at you. And whoever it was made a clean job. Nothing was left on the scene. No clues, no nothing. And that tells me that whoever it was doesn't accept failure as an option, and that they will be back to finish the job. And I won't let that happen. Take a guard with you."

The corners of his mouth curved downward. "It really means that much to you?"

"Would I be harassing you about it if it didn't?"

He sighed and looked away. "Fine. I'll try to remember to take Eddie with me."

"Take Hayden or Marco," Claudia instructed. "They're the sharpest. And Marco can bench-press 200 lbs."

Johnny shook his head. "I don't even want to know how you came to know that."

She grinned lasciviously before sobering up. "Listen, I know you hate this, but I promise, it won't be for forever. Just take one of them with you if you need to go out. And keep a gun on you, okay? No chances."

He nodded. "Fine."

"Fine," she replied, pleased with how they managed to arrive at agreement with relative ease. He was so stubborn as a boy that she feared sometimes that he was still just as obstinate about everything. Thankfully, that wasn't the case…except where that horsebeast Loose Lu was concerned.

"I need to concentrate on finding out who it was that tried to waste you," she murmured, backing away a step. "And who it was that wanted you gone so bad that they didn't give a shit that a civilian was with you. That's not part of the code – you never jeopardize civilians unless it's unavoidable and takes place during an open mob war."

He was only somewhat familiar with this supposed 'code' that Claudia and the rest of the mob kingpins operated on (so did that make Claudia a queen-pin? Was there even such a thing?) but he nodded along. "Okay."

"It was probably Corinthos," she bit off, gritting her teeth. "Rat bastard. Overcompensating because we got the Taylor properties, and we stole them right out from under him. And trust me, that little boy's got a lot to feel the need to overcompensate for.

Johnny groaned. He _really _didn't need to hear any references to Sonny Corinthos's 'little friend.' "Claudie…"

"I'll tell you one thing," she cut in, pointing a finger at him. "He hurts a hair on your head – ever – and he'll pay for it with his life. And the lives of those he loves. I'm through shitting around with the manic little fucker."

And with that, she turned around and stalked down the hallway, either on her way to her own bedroom or toward the stairs so that she could get some work done in her office downstairs. Johnny watched her go, then turned around and quietly shut his bedroom door.


	7. 6

**Note – **Thanks so much for the replies! I know I wanted a slow build (and I do) but damn, if I don't find myself getting impatient and wanting to get to the good stuff. :-P

**The Right Girl 06**

_At the hospital…_

Johnny headed away from the hub and down a long corridor toward the suite where his father was being housed. Patrick Drake had recently had him moved to another area of the hospital, and it would be his first time visiting Anthony in the new room. He rounded the corner with his guard right behind him and almost ran right into his girlfriend.

Lulu let out a little yelp despite not even making contact with him, and Johnny reached out to steady her anyway.

"You okay?"

She looked oddly flustered, which would have been cute if she wasn't licking her lips the way she always did when she was afraid of being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Where are you going?"

His eyes narrowed just slightly. "I'm visiting my father. What – What are you doing here? In this area of the hospital?"

She licked her lips together, and he could almost hear the gears turning in her head. It hurt just a little, to see her so desperate to put together some kind of response that he'd like to hear. Especially when they never kept anything from each other.

"Lulu?" He kept his voice gentle, if not outright curious. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just coming to visit my dad," she got out, giving him a thin smile. "You know, say hey, see how he's feeling. I know, I know, he's been such a jerk about this bypass thing and fought us every step of the way, but…I can't help it. Lucky might want to keep a little bit of distance, but he's my dad."

Johnny smiled softly. "He's very fortunate to have you in his life. And that you've always got his back."

Lulu smiled back and reached out, slipping her arm around his waist for a quick kiss. Johnny let his lips linger, and almost didn't notice when his guard cleared his throat. He glanced over his shoulder, annoyed.

"What?"

Hayden cleared his throat and jutted his chin out in the direction of the suite closer to the corner. Johnny stared, then squinted, and then frowned when he made out the patient's name written on the door.

"Logan Hayes."

Lulu glared at the guard who stared back unrepentantly, then rubbed her forehead.

Johnny looked down at her, his expression lacking warmth. "You're stopping in to see Logan? Since when?"

"Just today," she answered quickly. "…And just a few times before that."

He shook his head and took a step back, reminding himself that the last place he wanted to fight with Lulu was in the hospital in full view of anyone that happened to be passing by. And he had it on good authority that the nurses were all the worst kinds of gossips. "So, what, you've been holding candlelit vigils at his side and lying to me about it?"

"I just check in on him from time to time," Lulu replied defensively. "Just to see how he's doing, if there's any sign of improvement. I'm the one that did this to him, after all."

"But you still-"

"I'm not allowed to feel guilty about thinking he was the Text Message Killer and putting him in a coma?" she demanded, throwing her hands up in agitation. Her voice hit a particularly shrill octave, and Johnny winced. "It's my fault that he's in here, because I didn't believe him when he said he was just trying to-"

"Just trying to frame me," Johnny cut in humorlessly.

"That was the only thing he could think to do," she insisted, and he found himself momentarily amazed that she would even consider defending that asshole. "He was so threatened by you and wanted you out of the picture at any cost-"

"And that's why you come sit vigil by his bedside," he growled. Behind him, Hayden was smirking. "Wonderful logic, Lulu."

"Don't patronize me," she snapped. "I'm not some weak, wilting, stupid little girl that is just going to-"

"No one's calling you a weak, stupid little girl, although some people are sorely tempted," Johnny spat. He saw her eyes widen and immediately felt bad; after all, he had never spoken to her this way before. He never had cause to.

She gritted her teeth, glaring daggers at him. "You're an ass."

"I'm not mad that you're seeing him," he clarified, reminding himself to keep his cool when he saw two nurses pass them by with curious looks. "Just that you felt the need to lie to me about it. Especially after all your sermons about honesty and trust. That all seems a bit hypocritical now."

She snorted. "Are you calling me a hypocrite?"

"I'm calling your actions hypocritical," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It's called semantic nuance."

"It's called, you're an ass," she repeated, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "I'm going to go see my father."

"I thought you just visited him," Johnny feigned sweetly, growling under his breath as she stalked away. "Yeah, real mature, Lulu."

Hayden cleared his throat after a moment's silence. "You, uh, still wanna go see your father, John?"

He shook his head, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. "No. Forget it. I'll see him the next time I'm here."

The guard nodded and stepped aside, letting his charge pass him as they headed back toward the hub. "Whatever you say. You want me to stop and get something for you on the way back? Burgers or somethin'?"

"No," he sulked. "I think I'll just go home."

Hayden nodded and followed him in silence. Their corridor broke into the hub where Nurse Webber and Dr. Scorpio were giggling about something. Robin caught sight of Johnny first and her laughter abated, causing Elizabeth to turn and see him as well. They remained silent as he passed, quickly averting their gaze, and Johnny tried not to bristle.

"Okay, night, guys, see you bright and early tomorrow."

"Night, Nadine."

"Have a good one."

He turned around and sure enough, there was Nurse Nadine. She was dressed in a pair of low-riding jeans and a pink turtleneck, and appeared to be fussing with her down jacket while trying to hold onto her purse, her white sweater she'd worn that night on the docks, and a mini-thermos as she headed for the elevator.

She came to a stop a few feet away from him and dropped her purse on the floor. Pressing her knees together around the coffee cup, she arranged the hood of her jacket on her head so that her arms were free. She shoved them into the arms of her sweater and then reached behind her to pull on her jacket, zipping it all the way up to her chin.

She looked like a pale blue marshmallow with little blue toothpick legs, and the visual made Johnny smirk. And when Nadine picked up her purse and unclenched her knees around her thermos in order to straighten, he was still smiling.

"Hey!" Her grin was bright, even at the end of a long day, and Johnny had no idea how she did it. "I didn't expect to run into you here. How is everything?"

"Good," he replied. "How's your guard? Disable him yet?"

She glared playfully at him and jabbed on the Down arrow twice for good measure, not that it would make the elevator go any faster. "No. Did give him a cutesy nickname, though. He hates it, but he looked so cute when he blushed that I kept it up."

Hayden let out a bark of laughter at that, knowing full well which one of his unfortunate peers had been forced to guard the nurse, but quickly composed himself when Nadine and his employer glanced at him.

"This is Hayden Laird," Johnny offered, making quick introductions. "Hayden, Nadine. He's, uh, my guard."

He expected her to smirk or make some sort of joke, but Nadine nodded with a sage smile, as if realizing that the youngest Zacchara child wasn't out of the woods yet in terms of the danger his chosen occupation presented. "It's nice to meet you. I'm with Corwin. Or, I used to be. He was excused from guarding me," she added when Johnny frowned.

The guard smirked. "Care Bear Corwin, I know. I heard."

Nadine clapped her hands together and laughed. "How'd you know I called him that?"

"All of us know," Hayden grinned back as Johnny eyed Nadine, his amusement apparent. "We found the sticker you put on the lapel of his suit jacket. That little cartoon bear."

She blushed and nodded. She'd known it was cruel the moment she'd slapped it on at the start of Corwin's first full day with her (he only had two full days before he was excused by Claudia), but it was too perfect. "I had a bunch for my kids in Pediatrics, and it worked out well."

He nodded back, and the three settled into comfortable silence as they waited for the slowest elevator in the entire hospital. Finally, the bell rang and the doors slid open, and both Hayden and Johnny waited for her to get on first. They followed in single file and the guard hit the button for the lobby, standing in front of them with hands clasped at his waist, all business once more.

"So how's work?"

"It's great," Nadine replied honestly. She picked up double shifts all the time, she ran herself ragged, and she barely spent six hours at home on any given day, but it helped that she genuinely loved what she did. "I got to scrub in with Patrick Drake today – you know him, right? – on one of his brain surgeries. I got to help him with Burr holes. It was so amazing."

Johnny glanced over at her. "Burr holes? What're those?"

"Holes drilled directly into the skull to alleviate pressure caused by a clot," she responded immediately. "You drill the holes – just a couple millimeters – into the patient's skull, and then you use suction to pull out the blood that's started to clot there. It alleviates pressure on the brain matter. And after that, I put on a puppet show for my kids. We got these super cute new hand puppets in last week as a donation, so me and Regina got 'em all out. It was great. I get paid to come in and play with puppets while adopting a really bad British accent."

Johnny laughed as the doors slid open. Hayden glanced around the main lobby out of habit before stepping off and waiting for his charge to follow. "Sounds like a good day."

"Good day, but a long day," she sighed, adjusting her purse. "I'm so ready to go home. I'm lucky if I don't fall asleep halfway to my room."

He ushered her through the revolving doors and followed, sucking in a deep breath of the cold night air. "Where are you parked?"

She gestured to the bus stop past the garages. "I took the bus in today. Car sounded weird so I thought I'd take it in to the dealer tomorrow so they'd have a weekend to check it out and fix it. Why?"

Hayden used his key to unlock a black sedan parked in one of the spaces reserved for hospital board members. Johnny tilted his head as the lights blinked. "We're right here. We could give you ride if you want. You know, just in case."

"Oh, you don't have to both-"

"Nadine." He arched a brow at her as they neared his car. "It's no trouble. You're on the way, anyway. And I'd just feel better if you let us, especially since you got Claudia to take Corwin off you."

She grinned despite herself. "You figured it out, huh?"

He laughed and pulled the door open, motioning for her to get in. "It wasn't that hard. There wasn't a whole lot of other stuff you and my sister could talk about. And for the record?"

"What?"

"You shouldn't take your car into the dealer. They totally rip you off."

Nadine laughed and scooted over so he could climb in as well. "Well, if you know of anyone better, I'm all ears."

"I know a great mechanic on Route 9 – Joe something or other with an S. I'll have someone drop a card over tomorrow," he promised.

Nadine nodded as Hayden finished warming up the car – they hadn't been gone long so it didn't take very long – and pulled out. "Sounds good. So…"

"So…"

"How _is_ that scary sister of yours? Did she kick any puppies lately?"

Johnny laughed and settled comfortably into his seat. "None that I know of, but she pushed a nun down a flight of stairs yesterday and took great pleasure in it."

Nadine rolled her eyes and gave him a rueful smile. "I'm sure the nun had it coming."

"Oh, naturally. After all, this is Claudia we're talking about."


	8. 7

**The Right Girl 07**

_At Kelly's…_

The first thing she saw when she stepped into Kelly's was Lulu Spencer, giggling over an almost empty bowl of chili. Johnny was seated across from her, playing with his soda and grinning back in that particularly wolfish way of his that let Nadine know that he was no doubt lasciviously teasing his blushing girlfriend. 

She smiled to herself and headed over to the counter. "Hey, Mike. Can I get my usual?"

"Sure you can," he smiled back, looking slightly sheepish. "As soon as you jog my memory as to what your usual is."

Nadine laughed, now looking a little sheepish as well. "A thing of iced tea, a bag of sea salt and vinegar chips, a chocolate chip brownie, and what you called the 'most disgusting hamburger ever made.'"

Mike snapped his fingers. "I remember now. Thanks, hon. It'll be about ten minutes. Help yourself to a roll – fresh from the oven, on the house."

She smiled and slid onto a leather chair. "Thanks, Mike."

He nodded back and went about preparing her order as Nadine pulled a roll from the rotating tray. She ripped off a little piece and popped it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. She had originally planned to have dinner with Spinelli tonight, and was a bit disappointed that their plans had fallen through.

The two of them had come to be close friends after the debacle at Wyndemere, and she genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. Damien Spinelli was a lot smarter and funnier than people gave him credit for, and he was surprisingly loyal as well. And in a town where she knew very little people and had absolutely no family left, Nadine figured that she needed a guy like Spinelli in her corner.

He was the one that had called her during her break and told her it was almost unseemly how little time they spent together considering how they were such good friends, and she agreed to dinner. But then he'd called her on her way out and told her that something had come up and he had an assignment to do for Stone Cold that was time-sensitive, so she knew not to push it. Besides, the less she heard and/or knew about his mob entanglements, the better. She didn't need that kind of trouble in her life. 

So Nadine schlepped over to Kelly's anyway, wanting to get some take-out and go home and relax. She had finally gotten her car fixed – Johnny was right; Joe Smith of Smith's Garage on Route 9 was a genius, and very much in her cost-range – and spent the first few days of the week taking care of all the stupid little errands that kept popping up, and this was her first night to herself and she was going to enjoy it.

The bells above the door jingled, and Nadine looked up just in time to see Lulu wave at her boyfriend and slip on out. Johnny stood from his seat, left a few bills on the table, and pulled on his coat. He checked his phone, frowned, listened to a message, and would probably have left if he hadn't seen her sitting at the counter, half-staring at him.

He broke out in a small, easy smile. "Hey."

Nadine smiled back. "Hey, yourself."

"Getting take-out?"

"Sure seems that way," she teased, making him duck his head. "Heading out?"

"In a bit," he nodded. "How're things at work?"

"Okay."

Johnny arched a brow. "Just okay? Okay, now I know something's up."

Nadine smiled despite herself. "Just a long day. A very long day."

"What happened?"

"I got thrown up on, I got peed on, and I got flung halfway across the room." She shrugged modestly. "One of those days that kicks you in the rear and then keeps on walking."

Johnny was gaping at her. "You got flung – What happened?"

Nadine shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Nikolas was having one of his black-outs and I came into his room and surprised him. He pushed me into a crash cart. Don't worry," she added quickly when she saw his expression darken. "I wasn't hurt. It just knocked the wind out of me for a second, that's all."

He let out a disgruntled snort. "I can imagine."

"So I thought I'd come here, get a nice, hot dinner, and go home and watch my _Scrubs_ DVDs."

"_Scrubs_?"

"TV show – medical comedy," she clarified. "It's about a bunch of doctors and nurses in a hospital. I swear, sometimes it's like they're looking into my life and taking notes."

Johnny chuckled as Mike rang up an order and creased a brown paper bag shut. "Sounds like a relaxing night that's well-deserved."

She smiled, surprised for a minute when a brown bag was held out to her. "Oh. Thanks, Mike. You put that on my tab?"

"Yup," he replied, pausing to make sure she had it before he let go. "There's your drink, your chips, your muffin, and your BBQ-guac-pineapple burger. They oughta pass a law outlawing those things…"

Nadine laughed and hopped off her seat. "Yes, but then what excuse would I have to drop in and see you so often?"

"I'm sure you'd get creative, hon."

Johnny wore a baffled expression when she turned around, food in hand and purse on her arm. "Did he say what I think he said?"

"About what?"

"About your burger."

"Oh." She held up the bag as if it qualified as evidence. "I like my burgers with barbeque sauce, a pat of guacamole, and a slice of pineapple. And the works along with that – you know, lettuce, onion, pickle, ketchup, and mustard. No tomatoes. They're so gross."

He was staring at her as if she'd sprouted a second head. "…Clearly."

Nadine tried not to smile. "What?"

"Nothing."

"If you want to say something, you can say it."

Johnny pulled a face, resembling a small child. "That is the most disgusting thing I ever heard."

She let out a laugh and grasped the bulging bag in both hands. "I know. It's an acquired taste, I think. My Aunt Rayleen got me hooked: she used to make them for me and my sister Jolene all the time."

"So the Crowell sisters have a thing for absolutely atrocious burgers," he smirked. "Good to know."

Nadine managed an awkward smile at his innocuous statement. "Yeah, something like that. Listen, I…I have to go."

Johnny nodded and moved back a step to let her pass even as confusion flickered in his dark eyes at the sudden change in the conversation. "Yeah, sure, no problem. I should probably go, too."

She smiled at him and moved quickly past, using her backside to push the door open, and disappeared into the cold night. 

At the Zacchara mansion…

"Something important's come to my attention."

Claudia rolled her eyes and moved over to the wet bar. She grabbed a bottle of sparkling water and popped it open, taking a quick swig. "What is it this time, Trevors? Did Sonny Corinthos call you a bad name?"

Trevor glared at her and behind him, his right hand man, Vaughn, did the same. "Try to be serious, Claudia."

"I'm always serious. You're the one that's a complete joke."

"This petulant back-and-forth you love so much isn't going to get us anywhere," he persisted, barring her path when she headed back to her desk. "You need to listen to me."

"And you need to remember what'll happen to you if you keep telling me what to do."

"It's about Johnny."

She stilled for a moment but, kicking herself mentally, composed herself nicely. She just couldn't help it: her kid brother was her weakness, and he always would be. She would always be that sixteen-year-old girl that wanted nothing more than to hold little John in her arms and protect him from their screwed up family and the life outside it. 

"So stand there all night without getting to it – that'll go over well."

"New information has been brought to my attention," Trevor replied, his lips thinning. "I find it personally troubling."

Claudia glared at him and flopped down in her seat. "Where's the chase, Trevors, and how do I cut to it?"

"I think I know who was behind the shooting on the docks a few weeks ago." His dark eyes glittered and he put his hand out, palm upward. Vaughn immediately handed him a file, and Claudia's eyes narrowed. "I have here a transcript obtained by one of our planted devices. It's of Sonny ordering Jason to kill Johnny."

Johnny backtracked when he heard Trevor murmur goodnight to Claudia and hurried around the corner. He remained hidden there until he was sure that the attorney and his right hand man were gone, then headed immediately to Claudia's office. His sister sat at her desk, her hands clasped ceremoniously under her chin, and appeared to be in deep thought.

"I heard what Trevor said."

Her dark brown eyes flicked to his. Johnny let out a short breath and made sure the door was shut securely behind him. This house seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere.

"John?"

"I heard what Trevor said," he repeated. "About Sonny telling Jason to kill me. I don't think it was him."

His sister arched a brow skeptically. "Yeah, because Sonny just finished braiding you a friendship bracelet."

"Not Sonny, Jason."

"What do you mean?"

"If Trevor was telling the truth, this isn't the first time Sonny gave that order…or the first time Jason ignored it."

Claudia frowned and studied him seriously, her hands still clenched tightly. "Go on."

"It happened once or twice before you came to town," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, Sonny kind of flew off the handle, ordered Jason to kill me, and Jason gave me the benefit of the doubt and didn't."

His sister's eyes were still on him, cold and giving absolutely nothing away. "Why? Why would Morgan be inclined to do you any favors?"

"To be honest…" Johnny shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. But he does. And I know that it wasn't Jason who took shots at me on the docks. If nothing else, he'd never take the chance of harming an innocent person like Nadine."

"Maybe she got in the way at the last minute," Claudia suggested. "Maybe he had you in the crosshairs and she burst on the scene just then."

"But _I _was the one that burst in, remember? She was standing between the Taylor building and the 59th warehouse lot and I came up through the alley toward her. She was already there." He shook his head again. "It wasn't Jason. I know it wasn't."

She pursed her lips together into a thin line, flashing him a regretful glance. "It's the only lead we've gotten so far…"

"Just wait on this," he implored. "Promise you'll wait on this. We need better evidence than this – better evidence that somehow, it really was Morgan behind this. And I know for a fact that he had an alibi for part of that night."

This was news to Claudia. "How?"

"I saw him at the hospital that night." Johnny gripped the back of one of the chairs and then took to drumming his fingers against it. "He was talking to one of the nurses – point is, I saw him. And I bet that if Nadine was forced to remember, she'd say the same thing."

"So you really think it wasn't Jason."

He nodded. "I don't know that much about him, but he's calm and logical and he wouldn't take me out unless I had done something to him or his boss. Sonny's the one that's all manic and quick to fly off the handle. Jason has given me the benefit of the doubt several times, and I've always proved that I had nothing to do with whatever it was that caused Sonny to want a hit out on me in the first place. He wouldn't just try to pick me off. It wasn't him, Claudie, I know it."

"So I'm supposed to just sit on my hands because you have a hunch-"

"Just wait on it," he asked again. "Please, just wait on this. No sense in being rash like Corinthos, after all."

His sister shuddered visibly. "Don't even say his name and mine in the same breath."


	9. 8

**The Right Girl 08**

"Didn't expect to see you here."

Johnny offered Jason Morgan a tight smile – or something that only barely passed as one – when the enforcer turned around. The two of them were standing in the little waiting area just by the lounge on the fifth floor where Nurse Epiphany Johnson ruled the halls with her team and her iron fist. 

Jason was a smart man. Johnny knew this. But he also knew that there was a chink in his armor in the form of a discreet glance – or what Jason thought was a discreet glance – at the hub where Nurse Webber was currently shuffling binders. She glanced back at the two men, her expression wary, and then quickly turned her back and took off down the hall.

When Jason looked back at him, Johnny couldn't help but smirk.

Clearly, it unsettled the man and he fixed him with a stern look. "What do you want?"

"Just a simple, honest, yes or no answer," he replied. "Your specialty."

Jason cocked a brow.

"Can we take a walk?"

He considered it a moment and finally agreed, and the two of them moved past the hub and began walking down the hallway. 

"Did you or did you not place a hit on me that was executed a couple of weeks ago on the docks?"

Jason held his gaze evenly. "No, I didn't."

"If you didn't place it, did your boss?"

He sighed and tugged on his ear. "Look, it wasn't me or any of my men or any of Sonny's men that took shots at you and – and -"

"Nurse Crowell," Johnny supplied. "Who was an innocent bystander, I could add, and has absolutely no connection to me."

Jason nodded. "It wasn't us that took shots at you."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "…But Sonny…"

"But Sonny wants you gone," the enforcer admitted with a sigh. "He doesn't hold back. He's told me to take care of you several times."

"But you don't," Johnny replied quietly. "Can I ask why not?"

Jason stared at him cagily for a few seconds, then looked away. "Look, you need to watch yourself. Even more so than usual. You're a smart kid, but you need to stay away from Sonny. Don't give him any excuse because I'm tired of calming him down when it comes to you. One of these days…I'm afraid I won't be able to. Okay?"

He nodded once. "I appreciate your efforts."

Jason nodded back. "Yeah. Don't mention it."

"Thanks for your help, Jason." They were nearing the end of the hall, having circled almost back to the hub. "And thanks for sticking up for me."

"Start sticking up for yourself, because I won't make a habit of it."

A smile made his lips twitch. Jason had already made a habit of it, but Johnny wasn't stupid enough to point that out. "Wouldn't expect you to."

They turned the final corner, prepared to separate, and they would have had the chance to do so had a streak of dark blue not darted around the corner and promptly smacked into both of them, then fell to the floor with almost comic alacrity.

"Oof!"

Jason and Johnny immediately dropped down on one knee in front of Nadine, who was rubbing her head where she'd hit it on Johnny's chest and looking quite disoriented.

"You okay?"

"Nadine, hey, sorry."

"It's okay," she responded automatically, taking both of their hands and letting them pull her to her feet. "No harm done. None of us saw where we were going."

Jason quickly scanned her for injuries and, satisfied that she didn't have any, nodded at her with a tight-lipped smile and excused himself. Johnny bent down and retrieved her files, stacked them, and handed them over. When she reached out to take them, he saw something on her wrist that made him laugh.

"What the hell is _that_?"

She yanked her hand back and let out a little laugh, shaking her wristband. "It's Hello Ducky."

"It's…interesting."

"And this pink guy is Hello Stinky."

Johnny stared at her, grinning. "You know, I honestly think you're serious."

"It's for the kids in Pedes," she replied, referring to Pediatrics. "I'm the one that gets to hook them up to IVs and stick them with big, scary needles. These guys are colorful. They're fuzzy. They have googly eyes."

Johnny took hold of her wrist and gave her a gentle shake, watching the little black bead 'eyes' loll around. "Ah, googly indeed. That a medical term?"

Nadine grinned. "Oh, yeah, very technical. But at any rate, the color and the fuzzies and the googlies attract their attention. By the time they see it and start asking what it is, I've already got them hooked or stuck. Very effective. Of course, some of my long-stay patients are getting used to it, so I have to work a little harder with them. Sing, make faces, tell them stupid jokes, pretend to see monsters behind their beds, that sort of thing."

"Sounds like you're a hit."

She shrugged modestly, as he had a feeling she would. "I try. I just love kids, and I know that kids hate hospitals. If I can help make their stay here just a little less scary, that's what I'm going to do. And I'm going to do my best."

"I'm sure you do," he smiled gently. 

Nadine held the charts to her chest and glanced at the hub where Epiphany was gesturing irately about something or other. "I really should be going. Listen, it was great running into you. Good to see you."

"It was good to see you, too," Johnny replied. "Maybe we'll run into each other again soon. And hopefully, next time, you won't end up on the floor."

"Noble aspirations," she teased, backing away. "See you later!"

"Bye, Nadine."

She ducked into one of the nearby hospital rooms to replace a catheter while he headed toward the elevators by the hub past the scary Nurse Johnson, and neither one of them saw Lulu lurking behind one of the large pillars with an expression of pure bafflement. She considered popping out and letting him know that she had seen the whole exchange, but ended up letting him board the elevator alone and oblivious. 

At Sonny's coffee shop…

Patrick had slipped her a copy of the 1967 Massachusetts Journal of Medicine and dog-eared an article that he said he wanted her to read so that they could discuss it later. Since Nadine was just flattered and grateful that her friend's boyfriend, a nationally renowned surgeon, had taken an interest in her and taken her under his wing, always getting her into the real cool surgeries even if Epiphany resisted, she readily agreed and made sure to do her homework as soon as she got a free minute.

"I've got a whipped, half-fat, no-water, soy caramel latte with whipped cream and nuts for Nadine? Nadine?"

"Right here." She smiled up at the server when he placed it on her table. "Thanks bunches. I'm coming off a double shift and I really need to get this reading done. You're a life saver in a snazzy apron, you know that?"

"I hear it all the time," he winked back. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"I will, thanks." She turned back to the article and didn't see him come up to her until he was standing about three feet away from her. 

"The seventies called. They want their lingo back."

She felt herself smiling even though he had just insulted her. "Hey, Johnny."

He didn't smile, but his eyes were warm as he gripped the back of the metal chair across from her. "Hey, Nadine. What're you reading?"

She held up the journal. "Massachusetts Journal of Medicine from the late sixties. It's this article about a doctor that basically wrote the textbook on infectious diseases. He used newborn infants to experiment on without parental consent, and some of those babies died, naturally, and he was never punished for it."

Johnny shrugged. "But he probably saved a lot of lives with what he discovered by testing on the first batch of infants, right? The good of the many over the good of the few."

Nadine eyed him with strange appreciation. "That's exactly the point the article is making. I can't decide whether I agree with it or not yet, but I can tell which side of the fence you're standing on."

He shrugged again. "It's textbook John Stuart Mill. _On Liberty_? Ever read it?"

She shook her head. "We had to read a Mill essay in high school and I hated it so much that I avoided him from then on. I even cheated on a social theory exam in college just because I didn't read the material on Mill."

Johnny smiled at that. "Well, I don't blame you, he's pretty boring. My tutor during my secondary schooling was big on him, though. Big on all the big name social thinkers, really. Mill, Hume, Montaigne, Locke, Thoreau, who I hated, and even Locke. Doing it all at Oxford was a breeze considering it was the second time around."

She arched a brow at him. "You didn't really come here to give me a philosophy lecture, did you? Not that it's not interesting, but you don't exactly glow when giving a treatise on Mill."

He laughed at that. "No, believe it or not, I didn't come here to do that. I was actually looking for Spinelli. You seen him around?"

"No, actually, I haven't. I haven't talked to him since Monday – I know he's super busy with a project for Jason Morgan. Oops." She winced and averted her gaze. "Shoot. I don't know if I was supposed to say that. I mean, not that I think you're – or that they're – uh…shoot. I don't know."

Johnny smiled gently. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going to start pumping you for information on the Corinthos-Morgan outfit, relax. I just wanted to see if Spinelli knew where Lulu was. She isn't answering her phone and I couldn't find her at any of our usual places, and I thought he might know. They're pretty close, and I'm pretty sure he had a thing for her at one point, so…"

Nadine smiled despite herself. "Yeah, he used to be all in raptures over the Fair Blonde One or whatever it was that he called her."

"Talk about dramatic," Johnny teased.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Sometimes I thought Lulu was being pretty dramatic. I mean, she's obviously got a flair for it; it sounds like she often runs off and makes her friends or her boyfriends hunt her down. She used to do it with Spinelli all the time – get mad at him, run off and resist being found until he dropped everything, started a full-scale investigation, and found her so that he could placate her and get her to come back. Maybe she just likes the chase."

She knew her rambling had not served her well because when she finished and glanced up at him again, Johnny's expression was considerably darker.

"It's not like that," he insisted, sounding much more defensive than before. "_She's_ not like that. She's just – just – a passionate person, and sometimes her emotions get the best of her and she does things that she wouldn't otherwise, but that's just what makes her who she is. And there's nothing wrong with being in touch with your emotions and not feeling like you have to bottle them up or hide them behind – behind something like an addiction or a lack of interpersonal contact or even a bright smile."

It didn't even occur to her that he could be talking about her, and Nadine shrugged, wanting to put him at ease. "Sure. I'm sure you're right. I didn't mean it that way and I'm sorry if I offended you."

Johnny stared down at her as she returned to her article, having the most peculiar feeling that he'd been dismissed with a perfect apology and a well-meaning smile, Nadine's modus operandi. "Uh…"

He shook his head and backed away, heading for the door. There was no reason for him to overstay his welcome, especially if Spinelli wasn't around, and risk Sonny seeing him and starting something. "If you see Spinelli, tell him I was looking for him."

"Will do," Nadine replied cheerfully, flipping to the next page of her journal without even looking up. "Nice seeing you, Johnny."


	10. 9

**Note – **Okay, so you know how SARS and Avian Flu were both big and scary a while back? I made up something similar called the Hippophilic Virus (which, judging by the arbitrary name I assigned it, is contracted from horses or something) that is similarly dangerous because I didn't feel like doing research on an actual, viable contagious virus like anthrax or meningococcus. :-P I save that kind of energy for House fanfics. Bite me. Only don't, because I have a low threshold for pain. 

**The Right Girl 09**

"Nadine?"

She spun around, backpack in hand, on her way back from visiting one of her ICU patients right before the end of her shift. "Johnny? Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I was actually here with my lawyer," he replied, walking over to where she stood. At the desk, Epiphany and Robin eyed him warily, and Johnny tried not to fidget. "He needed me to sign some things before I take my position on the board, and-"

"Oh, my God." Her jaw dropped and an excited smile made the corners of her mouth curl. "You're the newest board member! Congratulations!"

"Thanks." Johnny smiled back quizzically, not sure what the outburst was about. "Uh, why are we so happy that I'm on the hospital board?"

"Because you just won me 83," Nadine answered happily. "See, a bunch of us had a pool going as to who the newest board member was after that other one died or retired or whatever it was that happened, and I was the _only_ one that thought it was you. Yay! Eighty-three dollars! I think I'll spend it on candy…Or shoes. I can eat one and wear the other. Hm…"

"You could spend it on candy _and_ shoes," Johnny suggested with a smirk. "Then you can do both."

"Playing both ends against the middle," she teased, jabbing a finger playfully at him. "I like it. So, unless you're here to help me celebrate my winnings _or_ cheer up my Kidney Failure Circling The Drain Guy over there, what's up? What brings you by?"

"I, uh…" He looked around and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I just wanted to…apologize."

"Ah." She nodded once, tucking her chin to her chest. "You know, you really don't have to."

"I know," Johnny replied honestly. "But I want to. I'm sorry if I overreacted a little the other day at the coffee shop. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't," she assured him. "It's fine, trust me."

"And I didn't mean to imply that you covered up your feelings by being so positive all the time," he continued, drawing a surprised look from her. "You know, the whole 'bright smile' thing."

"Honestly…" She chuckled despite herself. "I didn't even make the connection. Boy, my head must have been all over the place. Uh, yeah, no, trust me, it's fine. I know you didn't mean to be rude. And in all fairness, I started it."

She glanced at Robin and Patrick, both of whom were examining a patient several yards away with matching grim expressions, and then looked back up at him. "I didn't mean to shoot my mouth off about Lulu. Obviously. I mean, I don't know her anywhere near as well as you do, and it was unfair of me to talk like I did. It was absolutely none of my business, and sometimes I just shoot my mouth off without meaning to. It's one of my far-from-charming attributes."

Johnny nodded. "Thanks."

"You, too."

"So…" He shuffled his feet awkwardly. "You, uh, heading out? Done with your shift, I mean?"

Nadine nodded emphatically. "Oh, yeah, totally done for the day and let me tell you, not a minute too soon. I'm exhausted."

"I was heading out, too," he replied, gesturing toward the door where one of the security guards was talking to Patrick and Epiphany. "Walk you out?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you need to get your stuff first?"

Nadine shook her head and adjusted her dark blue backpack on her shoulder. "Nope, got everything right here. I was on my way out but then thought I'd stop in to see Kidney Failure Guy before I left. He's a huge James Bond fan and we've been arguing for the past half-hour about which actor was better as him."

Johnny smirked. "And the verdict is?"

"The verdict is that Roger Moore was a stuffed shirt, and that Sean Connery is my heart."

He laughed out loud and moved to the side, ushering her forward. "Great. You should have that turned into a bumper sticker or something."

"I'm thinking of making it my life's creed," she replied. "Where are you parked?"

"Right out front."

"Illegally?"

"…Yeah." He smirked when she gave him what might have passed as a stern look if her blue eyes weren't twinkling so prettily. "You?"

"Lower garage." She smiled at Patrick and Epiphany as she tried to move past the security guard, and looked at them all quizzically when he barred her path and shut the door leading out of the ICU. "Um, is there a problem?"

"Ladies and gentleman," Patrick boomed, waiting for the wing to quiet down. The nurses and orderlies stopped chatting but continued working while listening. "Can I have your attention for a minute?"

Johnny grasped Nadine's elbow and pulled her back, his brows furrowing in frustration. This did not sound good and judging by Patrick's expression, half fear and half irritation, it wasn't.

"We are putting the ICU under quarantine," he announced, holding his hands up when everyone tried to speak at once. "I know, I know, just bear with me for a minute. Dr. Scorpio admitted a patient that, upon closer inspection by her and myself and Nurse Johnson, may have contracted the Hippophilic Virus."

Nadine gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Next to her, Johnny pursed his lips together into a thin line and scrubbed a hand over her face.

"For those of you who are not aware, the Hippophilic Virus is extremely dangerous and can be contagious in some cases. I will be running a few tests and sending bloodwork down to the lab, and we have about an eight-hour wait until the tests will come back conclusively. Until then, unfortunately, you're all stuck here. Thanks for listening, and sorry for the inconvenience."

Elizabeth Webber, who had come up to Nadine while Patrick was talking, let out a groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you serious, Patrick? I was ten minutes away from being out of here."

He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. I had to do it."

"You know there's very little chance the patient actually has the Hippophilic Virus," she replied, her voice low so that only Patrick, Johnny, Nadine, and Epiphany could hear her. "All of the cases we've heard of so far have been much further down south – in Maryland and Connecticut and Rhode Island. We're out of range. It's very unlikely that he's got that particular virus."

"I know," Patrick admitted. "But-"

"If you know that's true, why do we have to stay?" Johnny interrupted. "Look, I'm not sure how to politely say this, but I _cannot_ spend tonight in this hospital. I have things to do."

The doctor gave him a look that told him he knew _exactly_ the kinds of things Johnny had to do, and at the same time thanked him for not saying so explicitly. "I know this is a pain in the ass. Trust me – I've been here for eighteen hours and I want to go home, too. But the hospital has strict protocol in situations like this, and unfortunately, we're here until the lab can finish the tests. So just stick around and pass the time by attending the ICU patients, and hopefully this will all be over soon."

"But-"

Nadine grabbed his arm and hauled him back with some difficulty, shaking her head wearily when he glared at her. "Trust me, it won't do any good. Patrick's not going to let anyone out of here. We had a situation like this about a year ago, from what I hear, where someone came in with a respiratory infection that presented in a manner very similar to SARS, and the whole wing was under quarantine until the tests were run twice. No one's getting out."

He let out a sigh that was a half-growl and ran his hands through his hair. "Damn, damn."

Nadine fiddled with the strap of her backpack and looked up at him hesitantly. "I'm really sorry."

Johnny glanced down at her, his expression puzzled. "What for? You're not the one that locked us in here."

The last part was said loud enough for Patrick to overhear, and the doctor gave Johnny a stern look before stalking off to the patient's room with Epiphany in tow. 

"No, but the only reason you came to the ICU was because you were told that I was working here today," she replied. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't want to talk to me. So, yeah, I kind of am the one that locked us in here."

"It's not your fault," he repeated. "It's just one of those things…" He sighed and looked helplessly around the room. "We've just gotta make the most of it, I guess. Damn, I knew I should have grabbed something to eat from the cafeteria. I haven't eaten since this morning."

"You're in luck," she announced, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Keep it under your hat, but I've got food in my backpack. I skipped lunch, too, so it's sitting wrapped up in here along with my normal vending machine stash. There should be plenty for the both of us."

Despite their frustrating situation, Johnny couldn't help but smile. "Always prepared, huh?"

"Nah, just a compulsive muncher," she smiled back. "Oral fixation, don't you know."

He arched a brow at her. "I'll bet."

He could have sworn that her cheeks turned pink in response, but before he could stare longer – purely in an attempt to see if he was right – Nadine grabbed his arm and turned on her heel. "Come on, let's find a place that's out of the way to sit down and take a load off. I'm coming off a double shift again and I'm sorry, but there is _no way_ I can keep working."

"Are there any free rooms?" he asked as she dragged him along.

"Nope, they're all taken up by the patients. I was hoping we could snag some chairs or a bench or…darn."

He frowned at the filled waiting area along with her. "We're too late."

"Well, I guess we could…" She scanned the main room again and her eyes lit up. "Ooh! Corner!"

Johnny blinked when she trotted off to claim it, then heaved a sigh and reluctantly followed. "You're serious? You're going to sit on the floor all night?"

She propped her backpack behind her and rested against it. "Why not? You have a better idea? Sit."

He winced and glanced down at his black pants. "It's dirty."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you're kidding. It's not _that_ dirty."

"I'm wearing black pants," he emphasized, gesturing to his trousers. She quirked a brow at him and he sighed, turning around and gingerly lowering himself to the ground next to her. "Fine. But just for that, you _are_ giving me half your food."

"I already offered to," she informed him pertly. "But you can keep your hands off my sea salt and vinegar chips. Mine." Nadine squirmed in the corner, adjusting her scrubs so that the neck no longer pressed up against her throat. 

"Well, here's hoping the next eight hours fly by."

Johnny grimaced and shifted as well when he felt himself sit rather uncomfortably on his wallet. "Yeah, I'm just _sure_ they will."


	11. 10

The Right Girl 10

**Note – **Quick problem. I don't know if the show ever mentioned if Jolene was older than Nadine or not. I didn't care enough to watch, so hence the whole not knowing thing. And I can't remember if I specifically said which one was older, so at this point, I'm going to change whatever I may or may not have said and say that Jolene is older.

**The Right Girl 10**

"You're a child." She elbowed him and popped a potato chip into her mouth. "It's not attractive."

Johnny grinned wolfishly back at her. "What are you talking about? I happen to think I'm very attractive."

Nadine laughed aloud, earning curious looks from Elizabeth and Robin that she remained oblivious to. "You are _such_ a child. Lucky for you, I'm excellent when it comes to cranky children."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not cranky. And I'm not a child."

"I'm this close to asking if you lived in a shoe."

"What? What does that even mean?"

"Nothing. And that you weren't read nearly enough nursery rhymes as a child."

Johnny shrugged, accepting that. "Well, that's the truth. My mother sang to me and my sister told me stories that she made up all by herself. Neither one of them liked nursery rhymes. Said that the Brothers Grimm were sexual deviants and none of their seemingly innocuous stories could be trusted."

Nadine blinked, staring straight ahead of her. "…I don't even want to know anything more about that."

"Ever wonder why the Evil Stepmother was so jealous of Cinderella's relationship with her father?"

"StopStopStop!"

He laughed heartily as she clamped her hands over her ears and kicked her heels on the floor. "Now who's the child? It's _not_ attractive."

She growled at him, exasperated. "I'm not a child – you are. You're the one that was cranky and sullen and wouldn't stop pouting until I changed you and gave you something to eat."

Johnny broke off another piece of the giant cookie she'd offered him and brushed a few crumbs off the dark blue scrubs she'd borrowed for him. They were much more comfortable than his suit, especially at one in the morning. "You make me sound like I'm an infant. All you did was get me a pair of scrubs and share the loot you squirrel away in your book bag."

He managed a smile and a sheepish look when she cocked a brow at him. "Thank you."

Nadine grinned and picked another potato chip out of her bag. "You're welcome. Ooh, this one looks like Richard Nixon."

"Can I ask you something?"

It was three-thirty in the morning and the two of them were on their backs on the dirty floor, their heads resting on Nadine's backpack. The food just about gone, Nadine had balled up her white sweater and stuffed it into her backpack and Johnny had offered her his suit jacket for warmth, and they were trying to stay awake because they both knew that nothing would be more uncomfortable than actually falling asleep in their little corner of the ICU. 

Her lashes fluttered and Nadine let out a long sigh. "I get to ask you something in return. Tit for tat."

"Fine. Go ahead."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." She lolled her feet from side to side, flexing them at the ankle and trying to stay awake. "You know what you're going to ask me?"

"Well, I wouldn't have asked you if I could ask you something if I didn't know what I was going to ask." Johnny frowned at the ceiling. "Wait. That sounded very circular in logic. I'm starting to sound like…_you_!"

She laughed and reached out to lazily swat his arm. "Stop. So were you going to ask me something big?"

"Yeah. Something huge. And embarrassing. I was really going to rip in there, go for the good stuff."

"Then that means I get to ask you three little questions."

"Little questions?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, I'll bite. Like what?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." She let out a short breath and pulled his jacket up to her chin. It didn't help that they were sprawled out close to an air-conditioning vent. "Okay. You said you played piano, right?"

"Does that count as one of your little questions? Or is it merely a microbiotic question?" He glanced at her and found her arching a brow. "Fine. Yeah, I play the piano."

"…Who got you started on playing the piano?"

A soft smile played upon his lips. "My mother."

Nadine turned her face back toward the ceiling again, forcing herself to look anywhere but at him. He just looked so happy and peaceful when he said that, and so much younger, too. She swallowed, certain that there was more, and was rewarded for her patience when he finally continued.

"She used to play. She played beautifully. One of the first sounds I remember, actually, when I was a baby was her on the piano in our music room, composing a lullaby for me when I was fussy because of an ear infection. I used to sit on the floor on my blanket, even as a baby, and watch her play for what felt like hours."

He shifted next to her, groaning just a little when he felt an adjustment in his lower back that allowed him additional comfort. "And one day she picked me up and put me on the bench next to her and taught me how to play. When I was four, my sister got me a little wooden piano to practice on, and I was so proud because it was my own, and I could do whatever I wanted with it. I started composing my own song. It was pretty awful, but I was just a kid."

She smiled at that. "My second question: What's your favorite song to play?"

"Right now?" He considered it for a long moment. "You know, I'm not really sure. It varies with my mood. As far as artists go, I love playing Bach. Some of the Rolling Stones stuff. Anything off the Baba O'Riley album from The Who. As I got older it became more about composing rather than playing, and when I composed it was usually something slow and lonely, but for the longest time my favorite song to play was 'Memphis Blues' by W.C. Handy. Still is, I guess. Ever heard it?"

"I'll Google it."

Johnny scoffed. "That won't get you much. Maybe the score, but that's it, and that's useless if you don't know how to read the notes."

"Then I'll Youtube it. Betcha anything there's a vid of some random guy playing it out there somewhere. And I am nothing if not diligent in the pursuit of wasting my time online."

He smiled and folded his hands over his chest. "Third question?"

"Mm…" The corner of her mouth curled up, and she said the first thing that came to mind even though she was at a complete loss. "Play something for me sometime?"

Johnny faced her, his surprise apparent, and started stammering. "Uh – what?"

"Play something for me sometime?" she repeated. "I mean, you know, if I'm ever in the same room, and you're ever in the same room, and there happens to be a lonely old piano in the corner. Play me something of yours?"

He blinked several times and finally nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, sure, I could do that."

Several minutes of silence passed before she nudged him again with her elbow. "You said you had a question for me. A big, embarrassing one?"

"…Why did you become a nurse?"

"That's not embarrassing."

"No," he allowed, "but it's big, right? So why did you? And don't give me the standard 'I wanted to fix people and save the world' answer."

Although from what he already knew about her, he didn't have to worry: there didn't seem to be anything 'standard' about Nadine, anyway. And sure enough, he wasn't disappointed.

"Guilt."

It was the last answer he'd expected. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Me, too," she shrugged, keeping her eyes focused on the ceiling so that she wouldn't even be tempted to look at him. "It was guilt, plain and simple."

Johnny worked his jaw, appearing to struggle with how to best draw more information out of her. Finally, he just came out and said it. "You want to elaborate on that for me?"

"Well…" She drummed her fingers over the knuckles of the other hand. "I don't, but I doubt that'll pass muster since you went through all that trouble thinking of the question."

He waited silently for her to respond to what he asked.

"My sister Jolene always wanted to be a doctor. Since she was a little kid, you know. She was always really good at chemistry and bio and really wanted to go to medical school. But by the time she was old enough to start thinking about post-secondary education, money was really tight. We didn't qualify for that many scholarships, either, and there was no way Aunt Rayleen was going to be able to pay for medical school. Jolene worked all through high school, too, but there wasn't enough. So she did her research and found a great nursing program in our area. She wouldn't have to pay out-of-state tuition, she wouldn't have to pay for room and board because she could commute, and they had great paid internship programs. And nursing school is shorter than medical school. Less debt."

She let out a sigh and gazed up at the ceiling, not realizing that now Johnny was gazing at her. "And me, I always did what Jolene did. I idolized her. She was my big sister; she could do no wrong as far as I was concerned. It helped that we were close, too, and she always included me in on whatever was going on in her life. So when I was in my last year of high school, I did the same. I got my degree in nursing and started working in a hospital further downstate, closer to where we all lived. Jolene was up here in Port Charles."

The corners of her mouth tightened, and a minute passed before she spoke again.

"The signs were all there, you know. We should have seen it. She was so…happy all the time, but it felt like it never came from inside. She was tense, she was reactive, she'd lose chunks of time just staring into space. Sometimes, it was like there were multiple personalities in there and my real sister was becoming smaller and smaller."

Johnny averted his gaze, his brow slightly furrowed. "What happened?"

"She had a complete psychotic breakdown." Those pale blue eyes were affixed to the ceiling. "She lost it. She started to mistreat her patients, she terrorized her colleagues, and she sabotaged General Hospital. She caused so much pain and damage within these four walls."

This time, he propped himself up on his elbow and forced her to meet his gaze. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't do any of it. You had nothing to do with it, in fact. You weren't even here."

Nadine shrugged weakly. "You asked me what got me started as a nurse. The answer is, my sister Jolene. As for what keeps me a nurse, the answer is, my sister Jolene."

He propped his head in his hand, lying on his side next to her, and his intense gaze didn't waver. "Why did you come to General Hospital, Nadine?"

"She caused so much pain here," she whispered. "And now she's not here anymore. It's my job to step in and try to make things right – for her, and for everyone she hurt."

"But it's not your job," Johnny repeated emphatically. "It's not."

"It's someone's job," Nadine replied with a smile. "Why not me? I'm here, I'm good at what I do, and I want to do it. Besides, I would think that you would be the last person to try to convince me that my guilt is misguided."

He eased himself down and rested his head on his arm, still facing her. "How do you mean?"

She shrugged again. "I just figured that you'd know what it's like to feel responsible for your family's actions, to wear their chains and take on their burdens."

Johnny cocked a dark brow. "You really think that's fair to you?"

"Is it fair to you?"

He pulled the very corner of his lip into his mouth and, after staring at her for a second longer than necessary, eased down onto his back once more. They both stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before he spoke. 

"You know how I deal with my family's actions and their burdens?"

"How?"

"Avoidance and denial." He turned his head just a fraction of an inch toward her. "It's not healthy."

"No," she agreed with the barest hint of a smile. "You should try being ridiculously uplifting and – what was it you said? – oh, yeah, covering all your feelings up with a bright smile."

Johnny rolled his eyes with a groan. "I already apologized for saying that."

Nadine let out a little laugh. "Oh, I know. Trust me, I'm not bringing it up because I get some twisted amusement out of you prostrating yourself at my feet or anything. It just amuses me that you insulted me and I had no clue whatsoever."

He laughed along. "That happen often?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm surprisingly oblivious when it comes to myself."

"Your friends must have a field day with you, then." At her prolonged silence, he spared her a glance. "What?"

"Nothing. I just…I don't really have that many friends in town." She shrugged as if it were no big deal, no hurtful admission. It was true, at any rate. She spent practically all her time at the hospital where all her colleagues were wary of her because of what her sister had done to them. It had taken her forever to convince girls like Elizabeth and Robin and Leyla and Regina that she wasn't some sort of psycho, and they were the closest things she had to actual friends.

"I mean, I get along pretty good with some of the nurses," she continued, feeling his eyes on her. "But we don't do anything outside of work – probably because I spend so little time outside the hospital. But that's neither here nor there."

"Well, then this quarantine didn't help matters any," Johnny replied good-naturedly. "You thought you'd have the night to yourself and instead you're stuck here listening to me being boring."

"You're not boring."

"Trust me, I'm boring," he smirked. "I bore myself all the time. So much so that I come up with things to do – driving really fast on Cliff Road, hanging out on rooftops, jumping off buildings – to distract myself from myself."

"Does it work?"

"Pretty well, actually."

"Huh." She twisted her hips to the side, bending her knees in order to find a comfortable position. "Sounds like I should try it sometime."

"Ladies and gentleman, can I have your attention, please?" 

Patrick Drake didn't have to ask twice: all eyes in the ICU immediately turned to him as he finished leafing through a patient file. 

"I have with me the test results on the patient we suspected was ill with the Hippophilic Virus, and I'm relieved to say that they came back negative." A collective sigh of relief could be heard in the room, along with Elizabeth Webber's, "I told you so," which almost passed as inaudible. 

"Our patient is not infected with the virus, and no one else was put at risk. I thank you all for your cooperation. It's been a long, tough night, and thanks for not staging a mutiny and stringing me up by my thumbs. You're all free to go. Also, Doctor Ford has agreed that any and all hospital personnel on duty that got stuck here tonight have the next twenty-four hours off. Epiphany battled long and hard for that privilege, so go home and enjoy it. Thanks again."

"Thank God," Nadine murmured, pushing herself to her feet with some difficulty. Next to her, Johnny did the same. "We can go _home_."

"I'm starving," he grumbled, grasping his elbow behind his head, one after another, to stretch out his arms and upper back after spending a most uncomfortable night on the cold floor. "Not that the spread you offered wasn't good, it's just that…I'm _starving_. I'm heading to Kelly's. You?"

"I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and get some food," she replied, bending to touch her toes and then rising up, one vertebrae as a time, to really stretch out her back and hopefully ease that annoying crick. "They always have fresh fruit and these really awesome chocolate-chocolate chip muffins this early, and I'm going to take advantage of my paid meal plan."

"I guess I'll head into the bathroom and change, then," Johnny answered, referring to his suit which was neatly folded inside her backpack. At the mention, Nadine quickly scooped up his jacket and offered it to him. "Well, this was fun."

"No, it wasn't," she smirked, "but nice try."

He flashed her an indulgent smile as she handed over his pants and dress shirt, along with his belt. "Thanks for everything."

"I didn't do anything, but you're welcome."

"See you around?"

Nadine held up a hand as he backed away, presumably headed to the men's restroom. "Sure seems that way, doesn't it?"

"I'm so glad you called me to do breakfast," Lulu sighed as she flopped into her seat across from him at Kelly's. "I really needed to get away from the Quartermaines – they're driving me _crazy_. Can you believe that Edward wants to instate a ten o'clock curfew? Why don't they just wrap me up in a strait jacket and put a padlock on my bedroom door?"

Johnny smiled and motioned the waitress over. He ordered first while Lulu thought about what she wanted, and it wasn't long before they were served. Kelly's was pretty close to empty this early in the morning so thankfully, he hadn't had to wait long which was fortunate because he was famished.

"So, I called you last night, but you didn't pick up." Her yellow-hazel eyes studied him even as she speared a strawberry with her fork. "Everything okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I just got caught up with a few things that I had to take care of, and didn't notice when the battery ran out. I saw that you called when I recharged it this morning and I figured, hey, let's do breakfast."

Lulu accepted his reply without suspicion, which was fortunate, too. She had commented once that he seemed to be going to the hospital more and more in the past few weeks, which was strange for him because he loathed visiting his father, and she didn't really seem to believe him when he said that he had stuff to do regarding his recent assignment to the board. She was a smart girl, after all, and had known it when he was lying.

It wasn't that he enjoyed lying to Lulu; it was just that he figured it was easier. Her suspicions, whatever they were, were entirely off mark and even if he said that until he was blue in the face, she'd still wonder. So there was really no need to add fuel to that fire, especially over something as unexpected and inconsequential as a quarantine in the ICU.

Breakfast was a quick affair, mostly thanks to how fast Johnny packed away his eggs, sausage, hash browns, and pancakes. He would have lingered over two extra cups of coffee with Lulu but his phone had buzzed on the table and when he saw that it was his sister, he knew he had to take the call and report back home.

"I'll catch you later," Lulu assured him. "Don't worry about it, go."

Johnny flashed her a grateful smile and tossed a few bills on the table. "I'll see you later."

She kissed him quickly and smiled as he let himself out, then resumed picking at the remains of her breakfast. She was considering ordering another hot chocolate – extra whipped cream and caramel this time, though – when the bells on the front door jingled and Robin Scorpio walked in, looking a little more exhausted than usual.

"Hey, you." Lulu motioned her over, thanking the waitress with a quick nod as she removed Johnny's plates from the table so Robin could sit. "What's up? You look horrible."

Robin gave her a wry smile. "Gee, thanks. Uh, can I get a spinach omelet and pancakes, please? With orange juice? I'd like that to go, and put it on my tab, please. Thanks."

"Long night at the hospital?"

"Longer than expected," she sighed. "We had some trouble in the ICU."

Lulu arched a brow. "What happened? Everything okay?"

"A patient was admitted with the same symptoms presenting as the Hippophilic Virus." She rubbed her forehead, wincing at a light headache, and shook her head. "Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing, but we were all quarantined in the ICU until the lab finished the tests."

"At least it was a false alarm," Lulu replied. "Thank God no one was actually sick."

"I'm thankful for that, yeah," Robin agreed, "but it was just a pain in the butt, you know? I pulled an extra long shift yesterday, I was in the lab for God knows how many hours, I had a super long consult because Patrick's patient was being difficult and I just stopped into the ICU to talk to Epiphany and Elizabeth about another patient when we went into quarantine."

"Elizabeth and Epiphany were stuck there, too?"

Her friend nodded. "Epiphany was on duty, anyway, but Elizabeth ended up having to call Lucky to ask him to pick up the boys when daycare closed and watch them for the night. He was working on a case, so I think your gramma volunteered in the end. She just went home, too."

"Who else was there?"

"Uh, Patrick, obviously. He was the one that ordered the quarantine. Not that it was his fault, of course – it's hospital procedure. Oh! Your boyfriend was there. I can't believe I didn't remember that til just now."

Lulu frowned at her. "Johnny? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I assume he was just here," she said, gesturing to the money on the table. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No." Her lips pinched into a thin line. "I asked him what he did last night, too, and he just said that something came up. He didn't even mention the hospital."

Robin shrugged and stole an orange slice off her friend's plate as she waited for her own order. "I don't know, but he was there. He spent the whole night with Nadine – I don't think they even moved from their corner. Oh, thank you so much. I got it," she added as a waitress came up with her order. 

"You put that on my tab, right?" She smiled and stood when the waitress nodded. "Thank you so much. Lu, it was great seeing you, but I have to go home, change into my pajamas, eat, and then conk out on the couch."

She forced herself to smile. "Sounds like a plan. Take it easy."

"Later."

Lulu sighed, watching the young doctor leave, and propped her chin up in her hand. It wasn't like Johnny to lie to her, and it sounded as if he had done so to cover up yet another covert meeting with Nadine. She wished she could decide right now whether or not this was a problem because if it was, she'd have to take care of it right away before it got any worse. 


	12. 11

The Right Girl 11

**The Right Girl 11**

"I got your call. What's up?"

Claudia's head snapped up when her little brother sauntered into her private office, and she was on her feet in an instant. "John! Where _were_ you last night? Why didn't you come home?"

He stared at her for a second, his expression perplexed. "What?"

"You didn't come home last night," she repeated, her eyes scanning him for injuries out of pure habit. When he remained confused, she bristled despite herself. "What?"

"Nothing," he responded automatically. "It's just that I didn't figure you'd notice if I came home at night, late or not."

His older sister let out a sigh that was half frustration and half sadness, and Johnny looked away when he saw the disheartened look in her eyes. He spotted a fresh pitcher of orange-pineapple juice on the wet bar, Claudia's favorite, and headed for it. He busied himself with pouring out a glass and finally glanced at her over his shoulder.

"It was nothing, really. I was at the hospital and some patient came in and Dr. Drake thought he had Hippophilic Virus and so they had to quarantine us until the lab could tell us for sure. That's all. I was stuck there all night, then me and Lulu met for breakfast. That's it."

Her shoulders remained tense. "So they're positive that no one was sick? You weren't infected at all? How many people were there, anyway? You couldn't have called?"

Johnny took a sip and then rattled off his answers in order of her questions. "Yes, they're positive no one was sick. I ran no risk of being infected, though at the time they weren't sure. There were about fifteen staff members and the rest of the patients in the ICU – it was me, Dr. Scorpio, Dr. Drake, Nurse Johnson and Webber, Nadine, and a handful of orderlies. And my phone died around one or two in the morning, and I didn't think you'd be so worried otherwise I _would_ have called. Satisfied?"

Claudia let out a slow breath, and her shoulders slumped in relief. "Yeah, I am. As long as you're not sick or anything."

"I'm not," he assured her. "It was just one of those things. The tests came back negative in the end, but the hospital has strict protocol about what to do when they suspect infections like this."

She came over to the bar and snagged his glass, taking a small sip before handing it back to him. Johnny grimaced at the red lip print, and Claudia chuckled as he scrubbed it away with his thumb before finishing off the last of the juice. "Sounds like it was a pain in the ass."

Johnny shrugged. "Nadine had food in her backpack and she got me a pair of scrubs to hang out in. We spent most of the night talking, anyway, because we didn't want to fall asleep there. So it wasn't all that bad."

She remained silent long enough to be worthy of his suspicion, and when Johnny glanced at her he found his sister smirking at him.

"Oh, knock it off."

Claudia shrugged innocently, her smirk growing into a full-fledged grin. "What? I didn't say anything. I didn't say a single thing about you and Vacuum Girl _spending the night together._"

He rolled his eyes with a groan, knowing she wouldn't have the will power to be mature and leave it alone. "Seriously, Claudia, I'm not that naïve, especially when it comes to you. I know you'd just love any complication that would make things difficult for me and Lulu, but you won't get to take advantage of one."

Her dark eyes regarded him seriously, with just the hint of amusement and indulgence, as he moved around the room toward the open windows. "And do you think Vacuum Girl's a complication?"

"Her name's Nadine," he half-growled as he worked his jaw. "…And no, she's not, but that's not the point. And why are you trying to dictate my love life, anyway? You're the one that told me that love kills."

"I did," she agreed, slowly coming up behind him so that they both looked out over the Zacchara grounds. In the distance, four of their guards were doing a perimeter check by the tall black gates, a constant reminder of how isolated their lives had become. Love kills. But friends are the ones that make your life worth living."

"You don't have any friends."

Claudia let out a chuckle and roughly jostled him with her shoulder. "Why do you think I'm saying it? I don't have a lot of friends because of the business _and_ because of how I choose to live my life. If I was a warm, happy, fuzzy person like Vacuum Girl, I'm sure I could still be part of this business and have friends."

"She's not-"

"She's basically a stuffed animal made by an arthritic Gramma, John." She tossed her raven hair over her shoulder and gently rested her head on her little brother's shoulder. Johnny tensed slightly, but didn't pull away and for that she was grateful.

"I just don't want you to make the same mistakes," she admitted. "You've lived your whole life in a mausoleum, closing yourself off from everyone because you knew you couldn't trust them. Things are different now. Things are going to get better, so don't feel like you have to close yourself off anymore. Friends are important, John. You don't need to surround yourself with a tiny group of people – me, Reivers, Trevors, and Dad. You should look for more than that."

"I have more than that," he argued. "Lulu is completely suited to me and my life because she grew up with danger, too."

Claudia raised her head from his shoulder and shrugged. "And maybe that's exactly why you should let Nadine in as a friend, because she's not all familiar with your life like you _claim_ Lulu is. She's on the outside. She's objective and distant and 'pure,' just like Dad thought my mom was until he made her a part of his life."

He opened his mouth, most likely to protest, and Claudia backed away. "I'm not trying to start a fight or mess with your head. I'm just saying, think about it. Love kills, friendship heals."

"Shouldn't you be…at home? Or out somewhere having fun?"

Nadine smiled at her patient. "You trying to get rid of me already?"

Nikolas shook his head. "Not at all. I enjoy your company. It's just that…you're always here. It feels like no matter what time of day it is, you're always either with patients or doing paperwork at the hub or roaming the halls. Don't you ever go home?"

"Sure I do. But I get a lot done while I'm at the hospital, which is probably why you think you see me everywhere."

"You seem to be all over the place."

"I work in a lot of different areas here," she replied, setting her patient charts down on the nightstand by his bed. She pointed to the pink pitcher of water next to them, silently asking if he wanted something to drink, and set about pouring him a glass when he nodded. "I work with the kids in Pedes, I stop by the terminal wing a lot to see the kids with cancer, I help Epiphany with the administrative paperwork, I scrub in with Patrick and Dr. Devlin whenever they'll have me, and sometimes I head down to the lab to see what I can learn, if they need any help."

"You're really busy around here – you sure I'm not keeping you from anything?"

She shook her head emphatically. "Not at all. Besides, I like coming by to check on you now and then. You're one of the few patients here that are always happy to see me, no matter what news I bring or how many pointy needles are in my hand."

Nikolas smiled warmly back at her. "And you're one of the few hospital personnel that will actually talk to me for more than thirty seconds at a time, and about things other than my symptoms and my tumor."

Nadine ducked her chin into her chest, already familiar with how focused Patrick and Ian were when it came to analyzing the young Prince, and how their focus on the diagnostics of the matter could cut into their bedside manner. "They're just trying to figure out how to best help you. Just like me. Because if I can help you in any way, I want to."

"I know," Nikolas replied honestly. "You've done so much for me already. I probably would have died of hypothermia along the river if you hadn't found me and called my brother. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were missing Emily," she murmured, clasping his hand and giving him a small squeeze. "We do crazy things for the people we love, and all you could think at that moment was that you had to find her, to steal some time alone with her where no one could take her away with drugs or radiation. Believe me, I get that."

He nodded back, his gaze on their twined hands. "Not a lot of people do. They think I'm crazy for holding on to her this tight, but not you. Never you."

"I know what it's like to keep someone with you like that, to hold them so close that they're a part of everything you do," Nadine answered with a weak smile. "You do it by choice and out of love, I do it by necessity and out of guilt."

"Your sister," he murmured sagely. "You still feel responsible."

"I'll always feel responsible," she admitted. "She was my sister. Part of me."

"It's not your burden to bear," Nikolas reminded her gently. "You think I don't have family members that I'm not proud of? I do – just ask anybody in this town. Between my father and my grandmother, the Cassidines of generations past have wreaked much more havoc on Port Charles than your sister did here. Hell, my family tried to freeze the world. Your sister only caused a couple hundred thousands of dollars in damage."

"It's not nearly that simple, but thanks," Nadine smiled. "And the Cassidines didn't honestly try to freeze the world…did they?"

He arched a dark brow at her. "You want the honest answer to that? If I tell you, there's no recanting the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. Remember that."

She laughed and gave his hand a playful squeeze. "On second thought? Forget I asked. I'll just tap into the town-wide grapevine if I'm really curious."

"That would be the way to go," Nikolas chuckled, but his smile faded into a look of slight confusion when he glanced at the door. "Uh, Nadine?"

She was looking at the small bruise left by his IV, her eyes faithfully trained on the hand she held. "Yeah?"

"Were you expecting someone?"

"No, why?" She looked toward the door when he gestured and caught a glimpse of Johnny. He managed a tight-lipped smile and waved awkwardly, and Nadine untangled her fingers from Nikolas's. "Oh. I have no idea what he's doing here."

"You should go find out," Nikolas replied, nodding when she looked at him with concern. "Go, go. I'm fine. I'm actually kind of tired, so I thought I'd read a little and then go to sleep. Go, see what he wants. Better yet, just go home, get some rest. Stop worrying about everyone else for a change."

"I'll see if I can't take your advice." She gave his arm one last pat and headed for the door. "Goodnight, Nikolas."

"Goodnight, Nadine."

She flashed him one last smile and quietly closed the door. Johnny was waiting for her when she turned, his expression apologetic.

"Was I – was I interrupting something?" He gestured toward the Prince in the hospital bed. "I'm sorry, I was just walking by and saw you and thought-"

"You weren't interrupting," she cut in. "Don't worry about it. I was just hanging out with Nikolas. He's had a rough couple of weeks."

"Is he still having blackouts? Rage attacks, or whatever it was that got him so sick?"

"Yes and no," she shrugged. "His blackouts are fewer and far between. That's not exactly good news, though. It means that he's getting worse."

She could see him grit his teeth. "Look, don't – don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure it's safe for you to be around him? You said before that he knocked you into a table-"

"He didn't mean to." Nadine shook her head firmly, refusing to believe anything to the contrary. "Nikolas doesn't have it in him to hurt me. And I'm not that worried about his rage attacks anymore. Somehow, I don't know, it's weird, but out of all his friends here, I'm the one that's usually able to get through to him when he's blacking out. Patrick said that the sound of my voice must be some kind of trigger for something in his brain. But at any rate, I figure it's like my Aunt Rayleen used to say: a gentle hand can lead an elephant by a hair."

He smirked a little at that. "She used to say that, huh?"

She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and Nadine let out a little laugh. "I must sound crazy, right? 'As my Aunt Rayleen used to say…' Oy. I do that too often, don't I?"

"Not at all," he replied seriously. "I think it's kind of…charming, actually. Your Aunt Rayleen sounds like someone I would have liked to have known."

Her smile at that was the brightest he'd ever seen it, and it made him puff out his chest just a little at the thought of putting there. Nadine averted her gaze, cleared her throat, shuffled her feet just so like she always did, and smoothly changed the subject to something less likely to make her blush. "So, what's up? What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Board meeting," Johnny replied. "Well, actually, more like the board meeting to welcome me to future board meetings."

"A meet and greet?" Her dark blue eyes twinkled. "Fun! Did you make any friends?"

He grinned, used to her teasing. "Yeah. Me and Hector Flannery, the Secretary, are gonna be hop-scotch partners tomorrow. It'll be awesome."

"I'm sure," she laughed. "Boy, it feels like you're here around the clock."

"I could say the same for you," Johnny replied. "Pulling another double-shift?"

Nadine shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at Nikolas, who had picked up a financial journal and opened it to an article in the middle. "No, I'm just here."

He, too, glanced over her shoulder and watched the patient, then slipped his hands into his pockets. "Do you have to be?"

"Uh, in about an hour or two," she answered. "My shift starts later tonight, but it's going to be a really easy gig. I have a tonsillitis scheduled, which is pretty routine, and then lots and lots of paperwork to finish up. No sweat."

"Good. Grab a cup of coffee with me, then."

"Coffee?"

Johnny smirked at her parroted reply and the way her mouth kind of fell into a surprised 'o' as she looked up at him. "You know, brewed from beans, full of caffeine, code for mafia in some parts of town?"

Nadine rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. She could rarely find it in herself to be annoyed with him when he teased her because he always did it in such good fun. Unlike his sister, of course, who just did it to make the other person squirm and feel stupid and out of sorts. "Thanks for jogging my memory."

"We can get dinner instead if you want," he offered. "I was planning to eat at home with Claudia, but if you're hungry, I guess we could-"

"Coffee's fine," she assured him, sticking her thumbs into the front belt loops on her jeans. "I was going to grab dinner in the caf halfway through my graveyard shift, anyway. You know, take advantage of that meal plan they made me pay for."

"Sounds good. So, uh, you wanna leave now? I'm parked right out front."

"Illegally?"

"Yeah."

"You're gonna get a ticket," she laughed, walking past him and down the hallway.

Johnny winked as he fell in step next to her. "Don't worry – I know a guy on the board. He can get it all cleared up, no problem."

"Yeah, I bet."


	13. 12

**Note – **Thank you to everyone who leaves me feedback. I don't think readers know how truly wonderful it feels to get feedback sometimes, especially when you're testing the waters a bit. This Johnny and Nadine fic is the first thing I've written outside of Jason/Liz (and now House, but that's experimental, too) and I love hearing about what I'm getting right and what I'm not doing so well. Thanks to all who read and reply.

**The Right Girl 12**

"Sonnybucks?"

Nadine looked up at the brick building and then over at him. "Is that what this place is called? I thought it was _The Coffee Shop._ You know, for all the brilliance Mister Corinthos and Jason are supposed to possess when it comes to business, they have no idea how to name their commercial joints. They call their restaurant _The No Name_, for crying out loud. Half the time I can't decide if that's cute or just lazy. Ooh. I hope none of their men were around to hear me say that."

Johnny cleared his throat awkwardly as she looked around just to be sure. He was more than familiar with her rambling, but it wasn't setting him at ease this time like it normally did. "You, uh, wanna go in? After you."

He held the door for her, catching a waft of her perfume – vanilla and soap with just a touch of coconut, he ascertained – as she moved past him into the brightly lit and aptly named coffee shop.

"I like this place," she announced to no one in particular, smiling when the cute server from the other day winked at her. He held up a bottle of syrup, letting her know he knew her order and would get it going right away. "I have an excellent chance of running into Spinelli here, and he's so busy all the time – either with Jason or with Maxie – that it's the only spot we can actually sit and catch up."

"Yeah."

"He's such a cool kid," she continued, leading him to her favorite table. "Most people don't see it, you know. They just see the weird and they don't take him seriously. It's like my Aunt Rayleen used to say: better a flawed diamond than a flawless pebble. That's Spinelli: a flawed diamond. Easily the smartest boy I've ever met. You should get to know him – I think you'd really like him."

Johnny shrugged and took a seat across from her, his dark eyes nervously darting toward the doorway that led to the private offices of Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos. "I know him. Kind of. Through Lulu," he elaborated when she shot him a look. "Because she's friends with him. Hey, can I just get a medium coffee, black, two sugars?"

"Sure thing," one of the servers replied as he set Nadine's concoction in front of her. "Give me two seconds, I'll get it right to you."

He nodded jerkily as the young man moved away, prompting Nadine to give him another strange look. "You all right?"

Johnny's eyes flicked instantly to hers. "Yeah, fine. Why?"

"You seem a little on edge, that's all." Concern made her brows furrow; it was her most frequent expression, he noticed. "You sure everything's okay?"

He shrugged weakly, not particularly liking being put on the spot like that, but then again, this was Nadine and she never did anything to make him feel awkward or like he had to offer up something to her. "I'm not really that comfortable with Sonny Corinthos so close. Aside from the fact that the man's a rabid sociopath, I think…I think he might have been somehow behind the hit on me at the docks. Jason denies it, but I get the feeling that Sonny doesn't clear everything by Jason."

Her lips tightened into a little frown, and she waited until the server set Johnny's coffee down in front of him before she spoke. "Do you want to go somewhere else, then? Maybe to the park? It's no big thing, really. I totally get why you're uncomfortable. We should probably go."

"The park sounds fine," he shrugged. "Let's do that."

As soon as she'd requested a few pieces of stale, day-old bread from one of the servers, who'd gladly handed it over, they were on their way. Johnny had to laugh at how carefully Nadine held her drink and the bag of bread in his car, terrified of getting whipped cream on his leather seats or dusting crumbs into the plush floor mats.

"You come here often?"

"Often enough," she shrugged as they walked along the river. Johnny had spotted a bench and was leading her toward it, and the ducks were dipping in and out of the water as the sun continued to set over the town. It was cold, but they at least had their coffee to keep warm. "I like the ducks."

He watched as she tore off a piece of bread and tossed it at the ducks, several of which dove for it almost before it hit the water. "Most people would say they like the quiet, or the soothing sound of the water, or people-watching."

Nadine spared him an arch look. "I'm not most people."

"Trust me, I know."

She grinned at his beleaguered reply and tossed the birds another chunk of the stale bread. "How often do you get your oil checked?"

Johnny blinked, surprised by the drastic change in subject. Although, he supposed, he was with a woman so he shouldn't have been. "I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about ducks and your singular personality."

He could see her shrug when she moved a pace ahead of him, tossing another piece to the ducks. "It's just that you drive back and forth between downtown Port Charles and Crimson Point pretty frequently, especially now that everything's been cleared for your new board position. You want a piece?"

He took the bread she offered and, setting his coffee down on the cement ledge separating the walkway from the water, began tearing it into small chunks like hers. "I get it checked often enough. We have a mechanical team that comes by weekly to inspect all of our cars for gas, oil, steering fluid, tires, wear and tear, that sort of thing."

"Do you have good miles-per-gallon?"

"My car's a guzzler," he informed her, to which he received a frown. "But I found a great shortcut between my place and downtown, so it's all good. Takes me about half the time to get here than it normally would."

"That's good." She ticked off five in her head before tossing the birds another piece, then jiggled the next one around in her hand, counting to five again before tossing it out.

He added another piece to his growing pile and concentrated on the mangled bread in his hands. "I, uh, I've started to visit my father more."

Nadine glanced over at him but didn't lose her feeding rhythm. "Yeah, I figured there was something more drawing you to the hospital aside from the board."

"I don't know why I go," he murmured, staring futilely at the bread as if it held the answer, and Nadine was struck for a moment by how lost he looked. "I don't want to go. But I still do."

She tossed another piece of bread to the anxious ducks and considered her words, something she rarely took the time to do. "Your father reminds me of a Scooby Doo villain."

Okay, maybe she should have considered _better _words.

"He was so scary in the moment, you know?" Her words came faster now as Nadine tried, for the umpteenth time in her relatively short life, to dig herself out of the hole her mouth dug for her. "He would appear all over the castle, at every turn, usually with a sharp object. He was so scary that I couldn't breathe when I first looked into his eyes. But when I see him in his suite sometimes, he's so…affable, and almost sweet in a sadistic way."

His hands stilled in the process of tearing the bread. "You go to see my father?"

Nadine stiffened as well, and a few seconds passed before she was brave enough to turn around and face his stern glare. "Yeah, I do."

Johnny bit his lip, reminding himself to choose his words and breathe. "Why? What made you think you could go visit my father?"

"You mean, when even you don't?" She smiled sadly when he rocked back slightly, realizing she'd cut right through him with that incisive question. And just like that, his anger melted away into something a little less hot, a little more bitter and twice more dejected.

"I don't know why I visit him," she replied honestly. "I don't mean it as disrespect to you or your sister. I won't see him again if you don't want me to."

He shook his head absently. "You can do whatever you want – it's not my place to forbid you to do anything. Besides, you're a nurse. And you roam the hospital like a ghost, anyway."

Nadine counted to five in her head and tossed the ducks another piece. They were used to her schedule now and were waiting patiently. When she tossed the piece, they snapped for it before it hit the water because they knew exactly when she'd throw it.

"I really don't know why I go. It's not a lot. I've seen him maybe half a dozen times since he was admitted. Not a whole lot. Maybe…I don't know, it's weird. Sometimes I think I might be drawn to him because he was part of one of the scariest things that ever happened to me. I didn't think I'd make it off the island alive that night. You know, you never know how you'll handle yourself in those life-or-death situations, what you'll do, but I like to think that I did pretty good. I didn't freak out to the extent of being useless to everyone else, I got to help the people that were injured, and I was there for people like Spinelli and Elizabeth who really needed someone there."

She decided against telling him how his girlfriend had decidedly _not_ handled herself well and turned into a raving, hysterical banshee.

"And I think that memory of just being petrified to my core…it just makes me want to see him sometimes. And every time I see him, I'm reminded of that night. Kinda perverse, huh?"

Johnny shrugged.

The corner of her mouth quirked up and she tossed another piece of bread at a five second interval. "Maybe I just like people that are different. Fundamentally different from the rest of us, people that do things that we never would."

"Damaged people," he murmured softly.

"I don't know about that." She licked her lips and tossed another piece as the sun's last rays lingered. "It's so surreal seeing him, you know? He was in control that night. We couldn't turn around without being terrified that we'd see him. And now, he's this tiny, thin, little man in this hospital bed that's too big for him. So surreal."

Johnny meticulously tore up the last of his bread and began adding it to his large pile. "That's the best word for my childhood with my father, actually. Surreal."

He could see her count to five in her head before she spoke. "Do you ever doubt that your father loves you? Or loved you?"

"All the time." He jiggled a few pieces of bread around in his hand. "If my father loved me, he wouldn't have tried to kill Lulu at the Black and White Ball."

"I think it was _because_ Anthony loved you that he tried to do that," Nadine replied slowly, making the ducks wait two additional counts before they got their treat. "He didn't want you to get hurt by Lulu, and if there's one thing I've noticed about him, even now, is that he's…sharp. He's aware. Perceptive. He knows exactly what he's doing – or did – and why. And he believes in himself, believes he was right."

Johnny bristled, flinging the last pieces of bread down onto the pile on the ledge. "If my father loved me, he wouldn't have let me be caged up in that house, he wouldn't have taken my sister away from me, he wouldn't have let me be Trevor's little lab rat, and he wouldn't have put me in the position of having no choice but to run the family business and continue this cycle of bloodshed."

Nadine watched him quietly, knowing there was nothing she could say to help him work through this, much less make him feel any better about it.

"I'm saying this in complete confidence," he continued in a low, strained voice without meeting her gaze. "I'm not saying it to scare you, I'm not saying it to disgust you, but if you're going to speak so frankly with me, I don't want you to have any delusions or misconceptions about who I am or what I do. And I don't want you to breathe a word of it to anyone, ever."

"I'll sit on it," she agreed quietly. "Whatever you need."

"Right now, our organization has to attack the Corinthos organization before they attack us, and that's how it'll always be until we're wiped out or they are."

He heaved a heavy sigh and stared dully at the ducks. They were loyally waiting the remaining three seconds for Nadine's next piece of bread. "You know, I have absolutely no respect for a man like Sonny Corinthos."

Nadine smiled wryly. "Somehow, I never got the impression that you were commissioning a statue of him."

"I don't mean that as a business rival or someone he wants dead, or someone that wants him dead. I mean I don't respect him as a person. He's got, like, billions of kids." He kicked at the ledge, then studiously regarded the scuff on his shoe. "Michael Corinthos III, Morgan Corinthos, Kristina Davis, and a couple he lost along the way. He plays this guy who's all about his kids, but do you know, he hasn't even visited Kristina for a month. Father of the Year, huh?"

She held onto her next piece, making the ducks wait for it. "What's this about, Johnny?"

"But then I look at a man like Jason Morgan," he continued as if she hadn't even spoken, "and I think, he's got it right. He loves…he loves his unborn kids the most that any man can because he wouldn't let them come into a world where all he could offer them was darkness before they even saw the first ray of light."

Nadine stared at him in silence, her jaw slack. Though her mouth was open, not a single sound came out.

"That was awful." He licked his lips and looked at the ducks. They didn't appear to judge him. "I needed to get it out, and it was awful, but I still needed to."

She remembered the birds and tossed them another piece, and her expression when she turned back to him was soft. "Everyone needs to say awful things sometimes. We can't be nice all the time, after all. That would be boring. And contrary to what you think, you're not boring."

"It's why I play and compose music, you know." He ran a hand through his hair, and the cold was starting to make his cheeks red. "To get it all out of me in a form that's not awful, but sometimes even that doesn't help and I have to find other ways to let it loose. I keep so much bottled inside that it makes me actually, physically ill sometimes. It makes me crazy."

"You're _not _crazy," Nadine told him, and if he looked at her just then he would have seen that her eyes practically threw off sparks. "You're not. And – and surely you can confide in Lulu about everything that's bothering you like this."

Johnny shook his head. "I don't like to bring it up around her."

She pursed her lips together in a tight line and ducked her chin. She couldn't say anything to that. She couldn't tell him he was wrong, she couldn't tell him he was stupid, and she couldn't tell him that that wasn't how things were supposed to be in relationships. So instead, she turned and tossed the ducks another piece of bread.

He watched her with a small frown. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Toss the birds a piece one by one."

She shrugged and tossed another one after a five second count. "It's neat. Orderly."

He shot her an exasperated look. "Not exactly the two words I'd associate with you."

That got a sad little smile out of her. "That's because you're one of very few people that actually talks to me more than to just scratch the surface and exchange pleasantries."

"Meaning?"

"You know I can be quirky," she shrugged, and he wondered if she'd ever look him in the eyes. "You know I can say weird, stupid things sometimes. But I have to be neat and orderly in all other things – I have to live my life that way. It's disciplined. I mean, I know what I have to do and I do it on schedule. No time left for distractions, no time left to feel sorry for myself. No time for anything but sleeping, eating, and working at the hospital."

"And that's healthy?"

"That's how it has to be. I have to take my job seriously, and I do. I have to help people, I have to fix people. Even more so because my sister did the opposite. All that negative energy…it has to be countered by something. Negated by something. And I'm doing a good job, I think. There's a time for everything, and an order to everything, otherwise your life can derail before you even realize it. Like my Aunt Rayleen used to say: fish don't get caught in deep water. You have to balance everything and be cautious."

She tossed another piece out to the ducks, who had been waiting almost mournfully after being trained to a pitiful schedule. "Every five seconds, they get a piece of bread. No sooner, no later. They get used to the rhythm. No surprises, but also no being short-changed. Everyone that knows me – even a little – knows that's how I work."

Johnny smirked and picked up his pile of bread scraps, cupping both hands to hold all of it. "Yeah…"

He trailed off and, leaning forward, tossed all of the pieces into the water. The ducks squawked and clucked, their wings beating as they dove and splashed, rejoicing in the abundance of bread.

When he looked over at her, she was directing the cutest little frown directly at him. He winked and gave her a saucy grin in reply.

"But everyone that knows me knows I throw the craziest parties."


	14. 13

**Note – **And thus begins my favorite part of the story. Complete with gifts! Who doesn't love gifts?! I ask you.

**The Right Girl 13**

Insurance reports were _boring_.

But they were also easy, so Nadine didn't want to complain too much. She'd gotten back from having coffee with Johnny a couple hours ago, scrubbed in for the tonsillitis, which went smoothly as predicted, and then settled into her paperwork. It was about one in the morning and she was still muddling through it all.

The insurance industry in this country sucked pond scum.

She dropped her pen and shook out her hand, attempting to preemptively relieve a cramp. Picking up the pen again, she flipped the page, found the little X, and scribbled her signature.

"Nadine?"

"Huh? Oh, hey."

Elizabeth Webber was standing in front of her at the hub in her street clothes, her hair pulled back in a tight bun, and looking at her expectantly.

"You're still here?" Nadine frowned at the clock. "I thought you were done an hour ago."

"There was a complication during the catheterization," she replied. "The patient lost her heartbeat and went into V-Tach."

"Did you put her straight through to bypass, then?"

"A clot showed up on the arteriogram, and the force of bypass would have sent it to her brain and killed her. We did CPR and got her started again, and then finished up the surgery."

"That's good." She scribbled her signature on another sheet. "So what brings you by? I thought you were heading home."

"Robin's my ride," Elizabeth replied. "I went to the waiting room to find her and found this instead. And the card said it was for you."

Nadine's lips parted in surprise when the nurse lifted whatever she was carrying onto the hub counter. "Whoa…"

A cute little basket of chocolate-chocolate chip muffins, with a few odd blueberry ones thrown in to mix it up, and a shiny thermos bearing the logo of _The Coffee Shop_ sat in front of her with a little card. Her name was written in clean, block print.

Elizabeth's twinkling eyes were on her as she reached for the envelope. "Pretty sweet, huh? Is it from a special guy?"

Nadine laughed and turned the card over in her hands. "Oh, yeah, right. I don't have a guy, much less a special one. You want one? Please, help yourself. There's no way I'll be able to eat all of them."

"I'm fine, thanks," Elizabeth answered, patting her stomach for good measure. "I never eat this late at night anyway. Besides, Robin and I are heading out in a minute anyway, so…enjoy."

"I will," she smiled back as her fellow nurse drummed her hands on the countertop and backed away. "Night. Give Cammy an extra hug from me."

She waited until Elizabeth, flanked by Robin, who had just emerged from Dr. Devlin's office, boarded the elevator before she opened the card and found similar block print on the insert inside.

_Thanks for listening. Here's something to help keep you awake while you finish up that paperwork. And this way, you don't have to share with the ducks._

_JZ_

Nadine looked at the muffins and couldn't help but smile. It was one of the sweetest gestures she'd received in a long time, and the coffee and chocolate were really going to help her stay awake long enough to sign another ream of insurance reports.

She tapped the card on her other palm, thinking about the gift-giver. She hadn't been the only one to notice that Johnny came by the hospital more and more these past few weeks; the other nurses had been talking as well. And Nadine wasn't deaf: she knew exactly what women like Robin and Elizabeth thought of Crazy Anthony Zacchara's boy. And it was unfortunate because Johnny was nothing like what they thought he was…and even more unfortunate because he was also ready to believe the worst about himself.

Nadine looked around the fifth floor hub and tucked the card back inside the envelope. She creased it shut and slipped it into the pocket of the white sweater she always wore, safely out of sight.

"There was an escalation between Sonny Corinthos and Claudia at the last meeting."

Johnny's eyes flicked to Trevor's gray ones and he held his gaze unflinchingly. "What kind of escalation? What happened?"

"I don't know exactly what happened," the attorney was forced to admit. "I, uh, wasn't allowed inside when the meeting was going on."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Johnny smirked. "Falling lower and lower in the pecking order, aren't you?"

Trevor growled under his breath, but saw the futility in the argument. "You can ask your sister for the details if you really want them. But it's my job to look out for your interests and make sure that you're protected. Because of this escalation, Sonny might be out looking for trouble. He's never been the smartest man, and he's going to come looking for the most convenient target."

"Me," Johnny finished.

The attorney shrugged. "You get in a fight with the wife, you kick the dog."

"Whoa, whoa," he cut in, holding up his hands. "Stop with the name-calling – I'm still in the room!"

Trevor smirked and fiddled with the Mont Blanc pen he was hardly ever without. "John, I want you to stay out of sight for a few days. Hang around the house, send in for whatever you want, take it easy. Just until things cool down, you understand. In case Sonny actually makes good on his threats."

Johnny gritted his teeth as Trevor grasped his shoulder. There was no way to know if the family attorney was telling the truth, or if he was once again lying in an attempt to manipulate him. It was possible that Trevor was cooking something up and planning to use Claudia's altercation with Sonny as a way to keep his sister frustrated and preoccupied while using Sonny's rash temper to keep him holed up in his house for a few days.

"What do you say?"

His eyes narrowed, but he figured the best way to take advantage of the situation was to let Trevor think he was going to do what he asked, all the while putting a tail on him to find out what was really going on.

"Fine."

"Good boy," Trevor smiled, clapping him on the cheek. "I'll make sure Reivers knows, and that he makes any and all arrangements for your comfort here."

Johnny sighed and leaned back against the desk as Trevor sauntered out. It would be too suspicious to send Hayden out as Trevor's tail, so Marco would have to be the one. He was probably on good – close – terms with Claudia, anyway, and he wasn't a higher-up in the organization so it wouldn't be altogether suspicious. But chances were good that his sister had already made the call and was having Trevor watched. He'd check in with her as soon as the attorney left the house, in about half an hour. They'd go from there.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, dialing the second number on his speed-dial. "Hey, it's me. Listen, I can't make dinner tonight. Yeah, I know. Something's come up. Yes, business. You know I can't say anything more than that. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that'll be great. I'll tell Reivers I'm expecting you. Love you, too. Bye."

Claudia frowned at Reivers when he entered her private office with a signed piece of paper, but her frown wasn't directed at him. It hardly ever was – Reivers was just that good.

"You have it?"

"Signed, sealed, and now delivered to you, Miss," he replied, dropping it in front of her.

"What were they doing up there?"

"They were sitting on his bed and talking, from what I ascertained." He tilted his head thoughtfully to the side. "They could have been engaging in coitus, I suppose. I can't be sure – I did blink, you know."

She rolled her eyes and added the signed paper to the growing stack on her desk. "Why did he have to invite that little twit over? I'll probably have to have this whole house fumigated."

Her butler let out a well-contained chuckle, the only sort of laughter he could manage. "Come now, Miss, she's not diseased. Do you think, perhaps, that you are just hard on her because she and Master John are involved, and if he's involved with a young woman, it means that he's no longer the little boy he was when you last had to leave him?"

She frowned sourly at him and held out another piece of paper. "If you want to psychoanalyze me, you should have gone straight for the Freudian complex and the obvious Daddy issues. Get John to sign this."

"Of course, Miss."

_Six minutes later…_

"The form you wanted signed, Miss."

Claudia took it from his outstretched hand and added it to her growing pile without even looking at it. "What were they doing?"

Reivers spared her an indulgent look, the same one he remembered giving her when she was just a girl. "They were talking, Miss. Just sitting on the bed and talking. I even stayed at the door an extra minute to be sure. They were talking about a dog named Foster. The words 'skillet head' also came up."

She let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair. "You know, you'd think that if he had to spend a few days cooped up in the house, he'd-"

"Spend them with you?" He matched her glare with a sly smile. "Yes, I thought so, Miss."

Claudia scowled and blindly reached for another sheet of paper. "Tell him I need this signed. Wait seven minutes before you go up."

_Thirteen minutes later…_

"This is a photocopied receipt for the mechanical bill for your Lexus. This isn't any sort of document that Master John would have to sign."

Claudia shrugged. "Whoops."

Reivers arched a brow and dropped the sheet of paper on her desk. "I presume you want to know what they were doing."

She worked her chewing gum and looked up at him.

"They were, as the young people say these days, canoodling." He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "It was rather sweet, actually."

Claudia pulled a face, this time looking a lot like the little girl he remembered. "Gross. Do me a favor – if he asks the maid to run a bath for him tonight, make sure she dumps in a whole bottle of Lysol."

"I will inform her immediately, Miss."

She reached out for another sheet of paper. "Tell him I need this signed."

"Am I to wait for any designated number of minutes this time, Miss?"

"No, just go."

"Here it is."

"Good." Claudia took the form and added it to the pile with financial receipts and other documents for their accountant, giving Reivers reason to pause. "Thank you for bringing that."

"May I ask what it was that you had him sign, Miss?"

"Tell me what they were doing first."

"Heavy petting, apparently."

Claudia gagged visibly.

Reivers shrugged, not looking particularly sympathetic to her pain. "You asked me, Miss. I chose to reply without euphemisms. Now, the signed document you were in such urgent need of?"

She glanced at the sheet indifferently. "Uh, let's see…Oh. Donation to the American Cancer Society."

"Cancer." The butler's gray brows shot up. "That's not one of our usual charities. Normally, you and Master John donate to the Alzheimer's Association and the Victims of Domestic Vio-"

"And I wanted him to branch out and add a donation in his name," she cut in testily. "Look, they're bald little tumor-riddled children; I doubt they'd care if the person that donated their new play place only donated to senile old folks and battered women prior to that."

"You are right as always, and your compassion is touching," he replied serenely.

"Shut up, Reivers. And go get this signed."

"Another one for tumor-riddled bald children? So that they'll stop crying about their disease, perhaps?"

"I don't know what it is – just get John to sign it for me. He can doodle a cat on it for all I care."

Her eyes flicked up when her butler burst in through the doors to her private office. "Well? Did you get it signed?"

He was pale and tightly wound, and his eyes were wide. "Good heavens, Claudie, they were going at it like junkyard rabbits that just broke out of prison!"

Despite the absolutely horrific visual, Claudia burst out laughing. "You walked in on them having sex?! How have you not dived straight for your rosary beads?"

"They both had their shirts off," he hissed, slamming the unsigned document down on her desk without his usual restraint and decorum. "Those horrible little children!"

Her shoulders still shook with laughter. "Aw, you're looking pale, Reivers. I think I need to call Nurse Vacuum Girl over so she can check you out. Better tell her to bring smelling salts."

Reivers glared at her. "I am fine, thank you, just…disgusted with this turn of events. You _knew_ it would happen, too. That's why you kept sending me up there, to stave off any physical contact for as long as possible!"

"And it worked perfectly," Claudia replied happily, picking up the same sheet he'd just slapped down in front of her. "Get this signed for me? Better hurry before those to figure out that Tab A goes into Slot B."


	15. 14

The Right Girl 14

**The Right Girl 14**

_Upstairs in Johnny's bedroom, several nights later…_

Sex was out of the question tonight, as it was every night, thanks to his annoying butler and meddling sister. Johnny let out a sigh as he buttoned up his shirt. Across from him on the bed, Lulu was pulling her cardigan on once more over her rocker tank top.

"So I guess there's no way _that's_ happening tonight, huh?"

He cracked a grin and leaned back against his pillows. "I was just thinking the same thing. Sorry about that."

Lulu shrugged and crawled forward on all fours until she was next to him. She propped her elbow on the pillows and trailed the fingers of her other hand gently down in his chest in a way she knew drove him wild. "You know, if we weren't stuck in this _house_…"

Johnny sighed and gently grasped her wrist, stilling her hand's progress over his stomach. "Unfortunately, we are. There's nothing I can do about that."

"But we've been _stuck_ here," she whined, resting her head on his shoulder. He shifted so that his chin brushed her soft hair, and breathed in her scent of lilies and pomegranates and something else vaguely dessert-like that made him vaguely hungry. "You haven't taken me out on a date in forever."

"You know that I can't take you anywhere – I'm unofficially under house arrest."

"But you've been distant lately," Lulu murmured, tracing idle shapes on his chest. "We don't really talk that much anymore, and whenever we're together you have these moments where it's like you're just zoning out and I don't know what I did to make you be that way."

"You didn't do anything." He let out a short sigh of frustration. "Not everything that I'm doing or thinking about has to do with you."

She shot him a hurt look, and Johnny instantly felt bad. "I didn't mean that to be mean," he explained. "It's just that sometimes I think about things that have nothing to do with us, nothing to do with you."

"You could talk to me about it," she pointed out. "I'm a good listener."

She wasn't, not really, but Johnny wouldn't have pointed that out under any circumstances. Instead, he swallowed roughly and tried to nod. "You're right. I _should _talk to you. You're my girlfriend and I know you'll always be here for me."

Lulu smiled against his neck. "Good – saves me the trouble of saying it if you already know it."

"It's just that…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Sometimes just being in this house really gets to me. It sinks under my skin, you know? I always feel so caged here, so trapped, and this time I really am. I can't set foot out of my front door, and I'm surrounded by armed guards and my overprotective sister and an attorney that I probably can't trust any farther than I can throw him. It just makes it really hard to break free."

She lifted herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. "What will help you be free, Johnny?"

He smiled softly and gently cupped her cheek. "You always do."

Lulu smiled back, a soft blush creeping up on her cheeks, and leaned down to brush her lips against his. The simple caress soon became hungry, needy, just like their physical interactions always did, and Johnny was contemplating letting Claudia and Reivers walk in and get an eyeful when there was a loud knock at the door and he heard the knob being turned.

He groaned as Lulu squeaked and pushed herself off him, sitting upright on the bed. "What now? Do you need me to sign something again? Please tell me it's your power of attorney so that I can have you committed."

His sister gave him an arch look and continued her march into his room, and Johnny noticed a small parcel in her hands. "Something just arrived for you, so I thought I'd bring it up so you could open it."

Here, Claudia stopped and stared directly at Lulu, making absolutely no move to hand the package over to her little brother. Lulu stared back at her, and then her eyes darted nervously to Johnny's.

"I, uh, should probably be going," she mumbled, starting to scoot off the bed.

"Probably," Claudia agreed, walking forward and holding the pretty white box out to Johnny. "Here. Yours."

He frowned at it, and then at her. "Who's it from?"

His sister inspected the card that came with it. "Presumably from some sweet little thing that makes cute, curly J's. Seriously, look at how cute that is."

The box was just a few inches out of his grasp when Johnny held out his hand, and he glared at his sister in exasperation. Claudia, however, looked only at Lulu, waiting for her to get the hint. Lulu, when she finally did, flashed her boyfriend a tight smile and hopped off the bed.

"I'll call you later," she promised, scooping her purse off his desk. She noticed her phone sitting there, too, but decided to leave it as if she hadn't seen it there. "Night."

"Night. Love you." Johnny glared at his sister as Lulu quickly left his bedroom. "That was unnecessary."

"No, _she_ was unnecessary," Claudia smiled, happily handing him the box now that it was just the two of them. "Open it, take a look."

He took the box from her, watching suspiciously as she walked to the other side of the room and began to absently straighten the papers on his desk. "You didn't send this to me yourself just so you'd have an excuse to chase Lulu out of the room, did you?"

She batted her lashes at him over her shoulder. "Oh, come on, would I do that?"

"Yes," he ground out, cutting through the tape with his fingernails.

"You're right," Claudia grinned, leaning against his desk chair. "I totally would, except I didn't."

Johnny would have replied with something particularly unfavorable, but he forgot what he was going to say when he opened the box. Inside lay a simple, elegant leather journal with strong binding and handsome detailing along with a nice silver pen. Claudia watched silently as he pulled the items of the box, a look of pure bafflement on his face, and inspected them.

"That's real nice."

"I know," he murmured, running a finger along the leather spine. Then, realizing that his sister was watching him fawn over the gifts, he set them down on his bed and reached for the card that was sitting next to him. "Let's see…"

Claudia wasn't kidding when she said the thing about curly J's. He smirked and pulled the card out from inside and found similar writing, delicate feminine scrawl, and he knew the gift-giver before he even read the note.

_The next time life threatens to get the best of you, you don't have to come feed the ducks with me. They're getting fat, anyway. Hope this helps you escape, even if just for a little while. And hey, you can use it to doodle your next brilliant composition sometime like, say, the next board meeting at the hospital. Something to think about, Mozart. Come find me whenever you're allowed to see the light of day again._

_NC_

Claudia's dark eyes were twinkling when he looked up at her, and he would have sworn from her amusement that she had read the note if not for the fact that she was standing all the way across the room.

"What?"

Her small smirk grew into a smile. "Nothing. You just have the goofiest grin on your face right now."

Johnny scoffed and rolled his eyes, quickly setting the card down on the bed before his sister could find out precisely _why_ he was smiling. "Do not."

"Spoken like a true eight-year old."

"Excuse me?"

They both looked over to see Lulu standing under the archway that led into his bedroom. "Hey, sorry. I think I left my phone here. Did I?"

Claudia didn't fall for the fact; she had seen Lulu's hand originally start for the phone before she withdrew it and realized the girl's plan to innocently pretend to return once Johnny had discovered whatever it was that was inside the highly classified box.

She gave Lulu a stern look, letting her know in no uncertain terms that she was on to her, but wasn't surprised when the look didn't land. She scooped the phone up off her brother's desk and tossed it at the girl, not particularly caring that it was the most expensive one currently on the market. "Here."

Lulu grappled with the precious device and managed to catch it. She would have thrown Claudia a dirty look but apparently thought better of it and tucked the phone into her purse. "Thanks. Hey, nice book."

Johnny glanced down at the items with a smile. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah. Who's it from?"

"Uh…" He cleared his throat and discreetly tucked the card inside the journal as he picked it up. "Just from an old friend of the family's that wanted to congratulate me for getting the position on the hospital board. You know, just to let me know that they were thinking of me."

Lulu's shoulders visibly relaxed, and her smile was brighter this time. "Aw, that's nice. Anyway, I should get going. Night."

Johnny waited until she was out of his room and in the hall, all the while feeling his sister's eyes on him. When he heard his girlfriend start to descend the stairs, he faced her and found Claudia smiling with an uncharacteristically sinister look on her face that made it very clear she hadn't fallen for what she knew to be a lie.

He rolled his eyes and looked away. "Oh, shut up, Claudie."

"I know how lucky I am, I really do," Nikolas was telling her as Nadine sat perched on the edge of his hospital bed. "Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for letting me be able to see, hold, and touch her, and I know that no one else who loses a loved one can have what I have with Emily right now."

"What about Emily?"

They both looked over and saw Lulu standing at the door, her brows furrowed and a puzzled expression tightening her features.

"Nothing," Nadine quickly answered as she slid off the bed. Something in Lulu's eyes told her that she didn't believe her, so she explained further. "Nikolas was just telling me about how wonderful Emily was…and how wonderful Emily thought her sister-in-law was."

Lulu managed a smile at that, but it eased into a frown when she saw a look pass between Nikolas and the nurse, a look that told her that she was still very much on the outside and that Nadine had only told a half-truth. "Uh, thanks. Yeah, Emily was great. I knew her since I was a baby."

The implication was clear, and it was meant to make Nadine feel like the outsider this time. She was nothing if not perceptive, and the remark hit its target. Nadine offered Nikolas a warm smile and gently patted his hand as Lulu edged closer to the bed as if marking her territory.

"You get some rest and I'll come see you before I go home, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Nadine." His dark brown eyes shone warmly in gratitude; after all, the lonely nurse was the only one that came to his bedside and listened to him talk on and on about his late fiancé.

"I'll come back if I can get Dr. Julian to schedule your tests earlier," she promised. Lulu watched as she gave him one last look before smoothly moving past her and out the door, and then she moved to her brother's bedside.

"So…you and Nadine seem to be pretty good friends."

Nikolas nodded and settled back against his pillows. Talking for any long stretch of time always exhausted him, and it seemed like all he and Nadine did when they were together in a room was talk. "Yeah."

Lulu looked toward the door, the corners of her mouth curving downward. She deliberated over whether or not to say what she thought aloud to her brother, but in the end, she had never been the sort to keep her feelings bottled up inside. "…I don't know what it is about her, but I don't like her that much."

Her older brother lifted his head off his pillow, surely a feat for him, and frowned. "What are you talking about? Nadine's great. She makes staying here just a little more bearable. She comes by all the time, whenever she can, and she pays attention to me and talks to me and asks me how I'm feeling without being pitying or condescending. Having her here really helps. She's one of the few people that takes the time to visit me all on her own, without feeling like she has to."

Lulu balked. "What are you saying? That I don't come visit you enough?"

"No, I'm not-"

"Or that I only come because I _feel like I have to_?" She planted her hands on her hips and matched his frown. "Because I don't. I want to come visit you, but it's not my fault that I have tons of other things to do, unlike Nadine who spends all of her time at General Hospital and has absolutely no life outside of it."

Nikolas let out a heavy sigh and let his head drop back down onto the pillow, closing his eyes. "Lulu, I'm not attacking you in any way and I'm certainly not going to sit here and argue with you. I don't have the energy for it, anyway."

"I didn't mean to upset-"

"I know," he replied honestly, still not opening his eyes or lifting his head. "I know you didn't mean to. But maybe you should take off for a bit – I should probably get some rest before the next battery of tests."

Lulu tapped her fingernails on the bedrail and nodded slowly. "Yeah. Okay, that's fine. You, uh, you get some rest. And get better. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Nikolas managed a weak smile. "Okay. See you then."

Thus dismissed, Lulu slowly turned, adjusted her shoulder bag, and reached for the door handle. She had only taken one step out into the hall when she crashed abruptly into Nadine, and both women dropped the things they were carrying upon the force of impact.

"Ooh," Nadine grunted under her breath, swiping her bangs out of her face as she knelt on the floor along with Lulu. "I am so sorry about that. I should have been watching where I was going."

"What are you doing back so soon, anyway?" Lulu muttered, picking up a couple of lip-glosses that rolled out of her handbag. "I thought you were going to-"

"Oh, yeah." Nadine balanced her weight on her heels and looked up and over at Nikolas, who was watching the two of them from his bed. "Thanks for reminding me. Nikolas, I ran into Dr. Julian in the hall and he said that he managed to move things around and get you in for your tests sooner. We really want to squeeze you in, if you're up to it, that is."

"I am," he replied. "Thanks for making the arrangements for me. I really appreciate all you and Dr. Julian have been doing for me."

"It's no problem at all," she beamed. "Besides, your sizable donations have earned you star-treatment around here. That's what we keep reminding Ms. Sneed whenever she gets too close. She totally falls for it and leaves us alone. It's like my Aunt Rayleen used to say: when you eat a fruit, remember the person that planted the tree. That's what we remind her."

While the two of them were talking, Lulu was quickly cramming her things back into her purse, and that was when she noticed a scrap of folded cardstock on the floor with the initials JZ printed on it in her boyfriend's distinct writing. She glanced up at the nurse, who was still conversing with her brother, and discreetly slipped the note into her purse before Nadine could notice.

She brushed off her knees and stood, looking down at the nurse while she finished straightening her folders and stood as well. "I should be going – I'll try to be back when your tests are over, okay?"

"I don't know if it'd do you any good," came a deep voice from the door, and both women turned around to see Dr. Leo Julian enter with Cassius right behind him, pushing a wheelchair. "Your brother's usually pretty tired after we're done with him. I don't know how responsive he'll be. It's probably best to just let him get some sleep and come back maybe tomorrow."

Lulu nodded as Nadine and Cassius moved to Nikolas's bedside. Nadine gently removed the IV tubing and the oxygen line and pulse ox monitor, and then she and the orderly grasped his arms and helped get him into the wheelchair.

"I'll do that, then," she promised as Cassius wheeled her brother by. "See you tomorrow, Nikolas."

He waved as he was pushed out into the hall with Dr. Julian leading the way and Nadine bringing up the rear. Lulu waited until they were all a safe distance away before she reached into her purse and pulled out the note. She skimmed it quickly, frowning darkly when she realized that Johnny must have sent Nadine a gift, and creased the edge sharply with her nails when she was done.

Looking around the room, she considered what she ought to do and finally let the note drop casually to the floor. When Nadine came back with Nikolas after the tests, she'd see it on the floor and realize that it must have slipped from the pocket of her oversized sweater when she plowed into her and think nothing else of it.

Meanwhile, Lulu had some work to do.


	16. 15

The Right Girl 15

**The Right Girl 15**

_At Crimson Manor, the Zacchara house…_

"Hello, Miss Spencer," Reivers smiled. He pulled the door wide open and ushered the young woman into the house. It was so much easier to look her in the eye now that all articles of her clothing were in place and secured…though still studded with a grossly inappropriate amount of rhinestones. "It's good to see you. You are looking for Master John, I presume?"

She shook her head and made no move to give him her coat, even when he reached out for it. "Not really. I mean, I am, but I came by because I left something in his room from the last time I was here. I just need to go up and get it."

"Of course," he replied, taking a step back. "You may go right on up. I do not believe Master John is home currently; Mister Lansing recently rescinded his unofficial house arrest, so he has been out and about most of the day. Please, go on up and do let me know if you need anything."

Lulu smiled brightly, relieved that Reivers hadn't banned her from Johnny's bedroom or insisted on following her up. "I will, thanks."

She didn't run into a single person – not Trevor, not Claudia, not even any of the help – as she trotted up the arching stairs to her boyfriend's bedroom. His was the fourth door on the left and she let herself in quietly, marching down the little hall past his dressing room and private bathroom and into his main bedchambers. It didn't take her long to spot what she had come in search for.

His new journal, a recently acquired gift, sat on his desk with the silver pen on top of it, positioned as a sword guarding his private inner thoughts. Lulu scoffed and brushed it to the side, picking up the leather-bound book and flipping to the first page. What she saw there made her snarl, even if it didn't surprise her one bit.

Delicate, feminine scrawl lined the first line on the first page. A simple title: _Requiem for Angst._

Underneath that, Johnny's neat block print filled up almost the entire page. Lulu dropped her purse on the desk and leaned against the chair, quickly skimming the entry. He had taken the title as a starting point and written about how he hated being cooped up in this house and made to feel like he was Trevor's little puppet to control and manipulate as he wished. He wrote that he needed to get out of the house more and go to happy places – if not happy, then quiet and soothing – and that there was surprisingly so much peace found in just sitting and feeding the ducks.

She stopped at this part, frowning at nothing in particular. Feeding the ducks…Lulu remembered that phrase from Johnny's note to Nadine, the one she left on the floor of her brother's hospital room. He had sent her something and mentioned something about how she didn't have to share it with the ducks.

His entry continued, and she read along. Her boyfriend was musing that maybe he shouldn't be afraid to go to Sonnybucks – funny, she thought it was called _The Coffee Shop_ – because if he does show up, that would illustrate that he's there in good faith and making no threats against Sonny or his organization, and even if Sonny didn't believe that, he would be the one to look like a fool for continuing to needlessly threaten him after that.

Johnny also wrote about how he supposedly had an ally – however reluctant – in Jason Morgan and left a question mark as to why. Lulu hadn't realized that her boyfriend was so confused about his relationship with Jason – she had barely been aware that they had any sort of professional relationship, aside from the fact that Jason thankfully had never carried out any of the hits on Johnny.

The entry ended with that attempt to work through that confusion, and Lulu was about to set it back on the desk when she noticed a scrap of paper peeking out halfway through the book. She knew he hadn't written further and quickly flipped there, finding an envelope with Johnny's name written on it with that curly J that Claudia was talking about.

Lulu pulled the envelope out and reached for the insert, and she wasn't at all surprised to find that it was a note from Nadine. While the first few lines were disconcerting enough, it was the last one that really got to her. Nadine was asking Johnny to come find her as soon as he was allowed to leave the house – that was hardly an innocuous request.

She scowled darkly at the note, her mind coming up with a whole list of unfavorable words to describe the nurse that everyone else had practically anointed as a saint. She had absolutely no business getting so close to her boyfriend.

If Lulu had been a more honest person, she would have admitted that what really upset her was that Nadine's play at Johnny under the guise of friendship was extremely similar to her own play at Johnny first under the guise of friendship, but she wasn't, so she didn't.

"Looking for something?"

She heard Claudia before she saw her, thank God, and that gave her the precious few seconds to shut Johnny's journal and slip the note back inside. Thus safe, Lulu turned around to find her boyfriend's sister glaring at her from the threshold of the main bedchambers.

"I lost my ring," she fibbed, palming the turquoise band she wore behind her back so that Claudia couldn't see. "I'm pretty sure I left it here…_somewhere_."

Claudia's expression didn't change, and Lulu warily edged away from the desk, purposely heading straight for the bed. She pretended to check under the throw pillows, on the nightstand, on the floor underneath, but to no avail.

And then, just to stick it to the nosey sibling, she pulled back the covers and reached around under the sheets, pretending to find her ring hidden there. "Ah, got it. I knew I left it here."

Claudia Zacchara was not amused.

She continued to glare at Lulu as she sauntered over to Johnny's desk where she had first seen her poking about. "You'd better watch what you're doing, little girl."

"I'm not doing anything," Lulu squawked. "I was just-"

"Shut up." In a gesture that was none too subtle, Claudia reached out and brushed the cover off of John's new journal, placing it purposefully in the center of his desk. She picked up his pen, letting it slide between her middle finger and index, and set it diagonally on top of the book in a clear sign.

"Because you may have everyone else fooled, but not me." Obsidian eyes flashing dangerously, she arched a brow at the young woman in certain promise. "And before too long, my brother _will_ realize that he doesn't need a manipulative shrew in his life. Well…"

She flipped her raven hair over her shoulder. "He'll realize that he doesn't need _two _manipulative shrews in his life. And he'll go out and he'll find someone better for him. And I sure hope that I'm around when he does that, all so I can point and laugh."

Claudia marched forward, herding Lulu toward the door without giving her a chance to articulate her anger. "Come on, you found your ring, let's go. I'll show you out."

Lulu snarled under her breath and stomped down the little hallway past Johnny's bathroom and changing room and out into the hall. Claudia remained two steps behind all the way down the corridor and all the way down the winding stairs until they were standing in the foyer with a curious Reivers looking on.

Claudia snapped her fingers, getting her butler's attention. "Reivers."

"Yes, Miss?"

"Next time Miss Spencer wants to visit us, she can wait in the parlor just like any other guest until someone from the family is ready to see her." Cool eyes flicked from the disgruntled girl to the butler. "I don't want her running around unsupervised in my house again, understood?"

Reivers nodded solemnly. "Yes, of course, Miss."

Without bothering to spare Lulu a second glance, Claudia turned on her heel and marched out of the foyer toward her private office, resolving not to waste any more of her time with the little shrew her brother insisted on parading around in front of her.

A long drive had a way of calming his nerves, especially when he wasn't accompanied by a guard. And after an hour spent on the Cliff Road, his foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal and the winter wind in his hair, Johnny felt recuperated after his almost unbearable captivity at Crimson Manor.

His sister was serving herself a slice of freshly made French silk pie in the kitchen when he walked in for the hot chocolate their cook always made for him on cold mornings. "Hey, you."

He nodded at her and pulled one of his favorite black mugs out of the cupboard. He never drank coffee or hot chocolate in anything else. "Hey."

"You just get back in? You look a mess."

"Yeah."

Claudia paused to lick a glob of chocolate mouse from her thumb. "Where'd you go?"

"Took the Mercedes for a drive down Cliff Road."

"With the top off?!"

He self-consciously passed a hand through his wind-blown hair. "Yeah. Why?"

She was looking at him as if he'd gone crazy. Johnny was no stranger to that look. "John, it's twenty degrees outside!"

He lifted his mug and shook it slightly before reaching for the small pot that held Cook's chocolaty brew. He had no idea what she put in there – probably some cinnamon, some nutmeg, some cardamom and other spices he could barely pronounce – but it was amazing every damn time. Especially with a little whiskey added for fun. "Hence the hot chocolate."

Claudia rolled her eyes and replaced the lid of the pie dish. "You're insane."

"I like to drive," he corrected her, careful not to drop any of the hot chocolate on the countertop. His sister had the marble imported directly from Garfagna or some other random Italian town, and she flipped a lid if she suspected the countertops were being mistreated. "How is that insane?"

She didn't have a response for that, naturally, so Claudia just plunked down at the kitchenette with her pie and waited for him to join her. John always joined her.

"So…" He breathed in the smell of chocolate and spices and braved a glance at her. "What have you been doing all day?"

Claudia set down her fork and began to tick the things off on her fingers. "Signing off on the new yearly contracts for our help, making arrangements for Doctor Chatham to move into our pool house so that we don't have to keep using nobodies like Nurse Vacuum Girl for all our scrapes and boo-boos, reading through the new contracts that Moreau sent because Trevors is once again AWOL, worrying about what kind of trouble my baby brother's off getting himself into, and keeping your Clydesdale from tearing up our floors."

"Whoa, whoa." He gritted his teeth and stared at her, dreading the answer to the question he was going to ask. "What did you do to Lulu?"

Claudia sighed in exasperation. "Why is it always about what _I _did to the little twit? I'm your sister – can't you give me the benefit of a doubt sometimes?"

"Do you _deserve_ the benefit of a doubt – anytime?"

She pursed her lips together. "Good point. But still."

Johnny rolled his eyes with a groan. "Claudie, I swear to God, what did you do this time?"

"Nothing," she insisted, having the nerve to sound offended. "I didn't do anything!"

"Okay, just tell me what happened," he replied patiently. "I won't get mad, I promise."

His sister pushed her plate away and flattened her palms on the table. "Fine. Here's what happened: your little Clydesdale-"

"Can't we do without the disparaging nicknames?"

"No," she informed him pertly. "You wanted to know what happened, this is what happened. Your little Clydesdale came by to visit while you were gone."

"You could have called me," Johnny pointed out. "If she came here and you didn't want to entertain her, you could have called me. You know I would have come straight home."

"As it turns out, She-Ra is more than capable of finding ways to entertain herself," Claudia replied. "And God, do you have any idea how desperate you sound? It's not attractive, John."

He pinched the bridge of her nose and waved his hand for her to continue. "Just tell me what happened."

"Reivers told me that she was here, so I went up to your room and sure enough, there she was poking around in your stuff."

Johnny removed his hand from his face and looked up at her in concern. "…Where in my room did you-"

"At your desk," she answered knowingly. "Yeah."

He appeared to fumble for words. "Did she – I mean, did it appear like – was she-"

"Like I said, she was poking through your stuff. Specifically, she was looking through that pretty little journal Nurse Vacuum Girl sent you."

Johnny groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Aw, man. Great."

"She was there as if she had every right to be," Claudia hissed. "Not smart, John. What if you kept business information in your room? You don't, but what if you did? That little twit thinks that she can waltz in any old time and go through your things – what if she found something out about our operations and went flapping her two inches of gums at the wrong people?"

"Was she looking _at_ the journal or looking through it?"

She stopped and stared at him. "…What?"

"Was she looking _at _it," he repeated, "or was she actively looking _through_ it?"

"Uh, she was looking through it. I think she read whatever you wrote in there and then she found the card that went with it. Even _I _wasn't nosey enough to read whatever love sonnet Vacuum Girl wrote you, and who's nosier than I am?"

Her point, though a good one, didn't interest him. "She was reading the note? Did she look…mad?"

"She looked like she always does – like a damn bulldog," Claudia spat. "Her pug face was screwed up into one of her typical constipation-frowns, okay?"

Johnny let out another groan. "Oh, great. And I'm sure you didn't help any."

"I just told her that-"

"She found the note and now her mind's probably jumped to all sorts of wrong conclusions," he ranted, jumping up from his seat. His cocoa sat on the table; he'd barely taken three sips. "She's got to be feeling pissed and…and betrayed, and I gotta find her before this gets any worse."

"But-But she was in your room!" Claudia called as he hurried out of the kitchen. "John! She doesn't trust you – how much more obvious can she make that?"

It was too late: he was already gone, presumably to track down that nosey little shrew and grovel at her feet instead of rightfully ripping her a new one for poking through his stuff. Claudia let out a sigh and let her head drop to the kitchen table with a loud thunk.

It was official: her little brother was a Pod Person.


	17. 16

The Right Girl 16

**The Right Girl 16**

The first people Johnny saw when he threw open the front door to Kelly's were Jason and Spinelli at one of the side tables. They were engaged in conversation but from the annoyed look on the enforcer's face, it probably wasn't serious. And sure enough, when he approached them, he found that it wasn't.

"All I'm saying is that you've been working most diligently these past few weeks," Spinelli was saying, "and perhaps your digits could benefit from relaxing and recuperative exercises. Might I suggest the Blooming Flower, or the Pouncing Mantis or…"

"Put your hands down, Spinelli," Jason cut in, grabbing the boy's hands and smacking them down on the tabletop. "I'm not doing that yoga stuff."

"But the Jackal just thinks – oh." Spinelli snapped his mouth shut when he saw Johnny standing over his mentor's shoulder. "Greetings, Septic Son."

Johnny didn't even bat a lash at the unflattering moniker. "I need to know-"

Jason silenced him with a sharp look. "Sit."

Johnny sat.

"You answer my question first," he said in a low voice, turning in his seat so that Johnny could hear. "I'm only going to ask this once: were the Zaccharas responsible for one of our shipments vanishing from the harbor last night?"

"I had nothing to do with it," he answered honestly. "I've been under unofficial house arrest these past couple of days because of your boss, and I was just given the green flag this morning, so I had absolutely nothing to do with your shipment disappearing. I can't vouch for Claudia, though. No one can, really. Ever. Maybe she was behind it, maybe not."

Jason Morgan stared at him for a moment and finally nodded and looked away, but not before Johnny caught a glimmer of something in his eyes. Reassurance, maybe. Respect. "Okay. Thanks."

He stood from his seat and glared at Spinelli when the boy was about to squawk in protest. "Listen – keep your eyes peeled for Sonny. He might want to, uh, talk to you about that shipment, too."

Johnny let out a disbelieving chuckle and shook his head. "Yeah, fine. I'll go dig my bullet-proof vest out of the closet. Thanks for the warning."

Jason nodded and excused himself, moving away from their table and heading right out into the brisk winter morning. Johnny watched him leave and then turned to Spinelli, who had already pulled out his laptop.

"Hey, do you know where Lulu is? I've been looking for her all over the place and I can't find her."

"Did you try calling her?" Spinelli asked helpfully.

Johnny resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "No, I'm sitting here talking to you because I forgot the piece of plastic in my pocket capable of connecting me to virtually any human being on the planet."

He shot him a wounded look and resumed typing. "Have you checked the hospital? I think I heard the Blonde One say something about visiting her parental unit. Maybe she's there, and she turned her phone off or the reception in that part of the hospital is nothing to brag about."

Johnny was up from his seat before Spinelli could finish his next line of code. "That's gotta be it. Thanks, Spinelli."

At General Hospital…

"I'll be damned – what are you doing here?"

Johnny scanned Luke Spencer's room quickly, finding no trace of his daughter, before offering him a slightly sheepish grin. "Hey, Mister Spencer. I'm playing the part of the Grim Reaper today."

Luke snorted and waved him in. "Shut the door behind you. Well, if you're the Grim Reaper, you wanna join me for one last cigar?"

"They let you have cigars here?"

"I hide them," he replied, pulling the Cuban blends from the opaque flower vase on his nightstand. "You want one or not?"

"Not today," he declined politely.

Luke shrugged. "More for me. So what brings you by?"

"I was just looking for Lulu."

"Ah." He shrugged and cut off the tip of his cigar, then reached for the matchbook he kept pinned under his mattress. "Sorry, haven't seen Daughter around these parts in about two days."

"Thanks, Mister Spencer. Any idea where she might be?"

Luke shrugged again. "Sorry, no clue."

"Thanks anyway."

Elsewhere at General Hospital…

The hospital was the last place in town Lulu could be unless she had spontaneously busted, and if she wasn't in her father's room, then there was only one other room she could be in. That was Johnny's thought process as he headed toward the room of a patient by the name of Logan Hayes.

And as he turned the corner and peered into his room, he saw her. She was sitting by Logan's bedside, holding his hand, talking to him.

"And remember when we went up to Vista Point and you packed us a picnic lunch? That salsa was unbelievably hot." She stopped and let out a laugh at the memory. "I really should have listened to you when you warned me about it. I don't know why I didn't – you were just trying to look out for me. And you never lied to me. Well, except about the Maxie thing, but that was so long ago. I wonder what you'd say to me now if you woke up…how you'd try to look out for me now?"

Johnny bristled and backed away. He'd heard more than enough. As if it wasn't bad enough that whenever things got weird his girlfriend lied to him and sat vigil at her ex's bedside, she had to go and talk to Logan like he could offer her advice about their current relationship, like Johnny wasn't matching up. It was a ridiculous idea: at least he had never seduced Lulu on a bet and then fucked her arch-nemesis.

He snarled under his breath and rounded the corner, going unseen. He didn't trust himself to confront Lulu right now, not when he was like this. A simple conversation would become a heated argument and they'd both certainly say things they didn't mean and that they would regret.

No, he'd talk to her later when he had a chance to cool off. And the hospital roof seemed the perfect place to do just that.

At the hub…

"Nadine."

She looked up from Mrs. Mulvaney's chart and found Lulu Spencer glaring at her from about ten yards away. "Hey, Lulu, what can I do for you?"

"You can stay away from my boyfriend, you cow," she sneered, not taking particular care to keep her voice down. As a result, those in the hub caught on to the drama about to ensue and tuned in to watch, much to Nadine's chagrin.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Lulu spat, stalking toward the desk. "I know what you've been doing behind my back and I want you to knock it off if you've got any dignity or sense of pride."

"I'm not doing anything," Nadine insisted. "I'm not sure where you got your information from, but it's obvious that you've been misinformed."

"The journal and pen you sent him were both very clear on the matter," she snipped, smacking her palm down on the counter. "God, you're really not one for subtlety, huh?"

Nadine's blue eyes darted around the hub, and she cringed inwardly when she caught sight of all those watching with keen interest. "Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk about this. Like adults. I'll explain my side of it and I'm sure you'll see that this is all just a big misunderstanding that we're blowing out of prop-"

"I don't want to talk about anything," Lulu practically shrieked. "I want you to stop trying to steal my boyfriend, you crazy-"

"Lulu." Elizabeth and Leyla, who had previously been watching from the sidelines, moved in smoothly to play interference, and Nadine watched with mild relief as the nurse tried to calm her former sister-in-law down. "This isn't the time or the place for this."

"This is a hospital," Leyla reminded her, shooting Nadine a sympathetic look. She knew too well what it was like to be the center of attention and the site of an attack by a shrieking harpy enraged because she couldn't keep her man interested. "If you have a personal dispute with-"

"I won't have any dispute as long as she stays away from my damn boyfriend," Lulu cut in, shooting daggers at Nadine as the elevator doors dinged open. "I want you to stay the hell away from Johnny, you understand? Stop 'accidentally' running into him all over town, stop playing buddy-buddy with his sister, stop feeding those dumb ducks, and stop sending him useless gifts in a pathetic attempt to get him to notice you! Johnny couldn't care less about you – the only reason he talks to you is because he feels sorry for you. They all do – they feel sorry for you that you share the same blood as that psycho bitch Jolene who nearly tore this hospital apart!"

"Lulu!"

All four women turned around to see Johnny standing in front of the elevator, looking sharply at his girlfriend. Lulu's mouth, which had been hanging open mid-rant, instantly snapped shut.

"I think we should go," Johnny ground out, impatiently holding out his hand to her. When she didn't take it, he reached out and grasped her elbow. "Now."

"Thank God at least one of them has a sense of decorum," Leyla murmured to Elizabeth. "Apparently, his compensates for both of them."

"But I was just-"

"I don't care what you were doing, it was entirely inappropriate," he half-snapped as Leyla and Elizabeth flanked their fellow nurse, who was wishing that the floor would open up underneath her and swallow her up. Anything was better than the way everyone in the hub was staring at her. "Attacking Nadine at her place of work for no valid reason and causing a huge scene is – is – it's not like you, Lulu. We're leaving, now."

Johnny tugged on her arm and, flashing one last apologetic look at Nadine, dragged Lulu into the elevator. He punched the button several times; apparently, the door couldn't close fast enough. Nadine knew the feeling.

Elizabeth let out a little breath of relief as the doors finally slid shut and turned to her co-worker. "You all right?"

"That was kind of nasty," Leyla agreed, rubbing her arm sympathetically. "You want to go somewhere? Cool off a bit?"

"We can grab some juice at the caf," Elizabeth suggested. "How about that?"

Nadine swiped her bangs out of her face, more than fed up with all the unwanted attention. "I'm fine, you guys, really."

Elizabeth's lips parted in surprise as the younger nurse edged out from between the two of them and started to head down the hallway, still the center of attention. "But Nadine-"

"I said I'm fine." She tugged her sweater harder around herself and hugged her arms around herself, eager to put as much distance between herself and all the people in the hub that now probably thought the worst of her.

She stared at herself in the mirror, thankful that the locker room was empty. She looked pretty much the same as she always did, but there was no mistaking the air of frustration and weariness that hung over her like a shroud. With a sigh, Nadine reached out and uncapped an aerosol can full of scented water and misted her face once, twice. She combed back unruly wisps of her hair with her fingers, tucking them behind her ears, and turned away from the mirrors with a dejected sigh.

Her locker was open right behind her and she pulled out her yellow smiley-face stress ball and, sinking down onto the bench, began to squeeze the crud out of it. Squeezing or smacking the crud out of things always helped calm her down whenever she was upset, and this time was no different.

A knock at the door was strange – after all, who knocked on the door to a co-ed locker-room? – but didn't garner her attention until she heard it swing open and then heard his voice.

"Hey."

Johnny was leaning against the doorjamb, looking awkward and apologetic. "Mind if I come in?"

She shrugged and held the misshapen rubber ball between her knees, her nails still digging into it. "No, go ahead."

He let out a sigh and walked in, careful to let the door shut behind him. He rubbed his palms together as he came up to her and stopped about three feet away, having apparently arrived at whatever sentiment he wanted to express.

"Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I am so sorry about-"

She jabbed the stupid smiley face with her thumbs. "It's okay."

Johnny stopped. "What?"

"It's okay," Nadine repeated, lifting her eyes to his for the first time since he entered. He looked confused, to be sure, but there was something else there. Unease. Nerves. It was the same thing she was feeling. "You don't have to say anything."

An awkward pause stretched between them until Johnny felt compelled to break it. "But I wanted to say that-"

"Could you not?" she interrupted, standing up from the bench. "I – I know what you're going to say and it's just been one of those days and I can't hear it right now."

It had been this way since she was a child: when she was upset and people tried to apologize and appease her, it just made her more upset. And the last thing she wanted was to burst into tears in front of Johnny Zacchara because she had a bad day and his ape girlfriend happened to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Maybe it would be better if we didn't see each other anymore."

She hadn't even planned on saying those words until they came out of her mouth but, damn, if they didn't make sense once they finally were out.

Judging by the look on his face, Johnny didn't quite share her opinion. "What?"

"I don't think we should see each other anymore," Nadine repeated firmly. "I mean, it's not like we're seeing each other seeing each other, you know, but just in terms of hanging out. I don't think we should do that anymore."

"But-"

"Because it's obvious that it makes Lulu insecure, and now it's even more obvious that an insecure Lulu is extremely bad news for me."

"I…" He ran a hand through his hair and let out a short breath. "I don't know why she's so insecure about this. This is nothing. And I've never once given her a reason to be insecure about anyone. I've never given her one reason to think that she wasn't the only one for me."

"It's fine," Nadine assured him. "Really. I don't want to say anything about her at all that'll make things weird for you. But we really should just stop this."

He pursed his lips and gazed down at her. "I…I thought we were friends, though."

Nadine shrugged helplessly. "I don't really know what we are, or what we would have been, but it's better this way."

And then, before he could open his mouth and protest as she knew he would, she glanced at the door. "Do you think – I – could you leave now, before someone walks in and sees us? Half the hospital already thinks I'm sleeping with your or whatever, so…it's just awkward. And I…I have to get back to work, anyway."

He stared at her for a long moment, so long, in fact, that she was half-afraid that he'd see right through her and refuse. But Johnny finally ducked his head and turned around slowly, heading for the door. He paused with his hand on it and gave her one last look.

"Goodbye, Nadine."

She gave him a tight smile in return. "Bye, Johnny."

He left the locker room, letting the door swing back and forth behind him, and Nadine let out her first real sigh of relief. That was it. Whatever it was, it was done. And she had been right: it was better this way. And it wouldn't be hard: they were hardly star-crossed lovers, after all. He was just some boy to her and she was just some girl. So what if they never had the chance to really become friends? If she were honest with herself, Johnny Zacchara was probably the last kind of boy she needed in her life, anyway. And she already had people like Spinelli and Leyla and Regina and Nikolas, anyway. She was going to be fine.

This really was for the best.


	18. 17

**Note **– I didn't mention it explicitly, but several days pass during the course of this chapter. :) It's not all happening in one day or anything, but over several days. Also? Thank you to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who leaves me feedback. I can't say it enough.

**The Right Girl 17**

"Are you ever going to tell me what's wrong?"

Nadine glanced at Nikolas over her shoulder while pouring him a glass of sparkling water. "What are you talking about? What makes you thing something's wrong?"

"You've poured me three glasses of sparkling water, you've fluffed my pillow twice, you adjust my IV every five minutes, you've played with the blinds and set them each time at different heights, and you've called Ms. Sneed a twit three times." He thoughtfully scratched the two-day-old stubble on his chin. "I don't think I've ever heard you call anyone a twit."

"She probably deserved it, the bean counter," Nadine grumbled, shoving the (third) glass of sparkling water at him. "You want me to mix it with cranberry juice or something?"

"Please," he nodded. "I should have a bottle or two in the fridge."

He was the hospital's most generous contributor so naturally, Nikolas Cassidine had a room that was more of a suite and equipped with all sorts of luxury items including but not limited to a plasma screen, a Wii (that he claimed he didn't know how to play, then asked her to 'teach' him), a massage chair, and a refrigerator.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She added cranberry juice to his water and then, on second thought, set about fixing the same drink for herself. "I don't want to bore you with my problems."

Nikolas gave her an indulgent smile. "Nadine, you're a lot of things, but you're not boring. And I promise, I'm a good listener."

"Oh, I know you are," she replied honestly, walking over with their drinks. "Trust me, I know. It's just that…my problems are stupid."

"They're not stupid to you," he pointed out logically. "Otherwise they wouldn't upset you like this."

"They're just so trivial in comparison," she murmured softly, almost apologetically.

"Ah." Nikolas tried to contain a smile. "So this is a perspective thing. Can't whine about stubbing your toe to the guy with a tumor in his head."

Nadine laughed despite herself, knowing that he was just trying to put her at ease. "Something like that, yeah."

"Try me," he urged gently. "Let me listen to you and help you for a change."

"Well…" She twisted her fingers together, deliberating over how much to actually tell him. Lulu was his sister, after all, and she couldn't come right out and call her an unhinged harpy. "Let's just say that I've decided…"

She let out a sigh and sank onto the edge of his bed as Nikolas watched with concern. "I started branching out a little, like you told me I should, putting myself out there, you know? I started…making this friend, I think. He could have been a friend, at any rate. And then something happened that's made me reconsider."

He arched a brow at her, already knowing that he wasn't going to like where this conversation was headed. "Reconsider, how?"

"It's just that…maybe I should be happy with the way my life is right now," she shrugged, sounding even to her own ears as if the one she were trying to convince was herself. "You know? I'm good at what I do, I like being here, I'm able to help people and fix them, and I've got a few good friends like Spinelli and Leyla and Regina and you, I hope."

"Of course me," he smiled back. "But don't you think you're being a little…"

Nadine shook her head before he could finish. "I think I'm just doing what I have to. I didn't come to Port Charles to make friends, after all, and I'm not going to worry or stress out anymore about not having very many. I came here to make things right because of what Jolene did. Besides, so many people already think the worst about me because of what my sister did, so I just don't see the point in it anymore."

"For what it's worth – and you don't have to listen to me or take my advice…" His sober brown eyes gazed into hers as he lowered his glass and tapped his nails against it. "But I think you're giving up too soon. I told you about my family – my grandmother tried to freeze the world, for God's sake. She kidnapped my mother and my father raped her, and my uncle was no saint, either. I came to town with their name and their deeds attached to me, and I don't have to tell you that I wasn't received well."

She smiled at that, trying to picture him as a rebellious, sulking teen and found that she couldn't do it. The man sitting across from her, so dignified and gentle and full of warmth and guidance even during the darkest time of his life, seemed like such a big brother-type that she couldn't reconcile him with the thought of a dark-haired, brooding wild child.

"I would have been so alone all my life if I came to Port Charles and decided to just throw in the towel," he continued. "If I just decided that, ah, the hell with it, everyone already hated my family so I should just close myself off from them all and do my own thing. I never would have gotten to know my brother, I never would have become friends with Elizabeth…and I never would have met Emily, who started out first as my friend, and then my best friend, and then the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with."

He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, forcing her to look at him. "I know you're stubborn, and I know you like to find your own solutions and do things your own way which makes you reluctant to take other people's advice, but just listen to me this time. Find this friend. Or, almost friend. Talk to him and fix things – fix whatever happened. That's what you do, right? You fix things? So do it. Because everyone needs someone. It doesn't matter how strong you are or how used to being alone you are. Everyone needs someone, and it sounds like you could use this friend – that you like him and enjoy his company."

She bit her lip and shook her head helplessly. "I don't know…"

"Hey, you order me around like a two-year-old all the time," he teased, wagging a finger at him. "Don't I occasionally get to do the same?"

Nadine grinned back and bit her lip. "Tell you what – I'll think about it."

--

She had never truly realized just how small a town Port Charles was until Nadine forced herself to avoid Johnny Zacchara and found herself running into him just about everywhere.

He told her once about how he was always uncomfortable coming to Sonnybucks because of his mob rival, so she was at least thankful that she wouldn't run into him here. "My usual, please. Ooh, and that raspberry tart, too."

"The tart's on the house," her favorite barrista smiled back. "And your coffee'll be ready in just a sec."

She watched him wrap up the pastry and took it, and by that time the other barrista had her coffee. "Thanks. Have a great day."

"You, too. Hello, sir, welcome to _The Coffee Shop. _What'll it be?"

"Medium coffee, black, two sugars," came a voice from behind her, and Nadine cringed inwardly, knowing who it was without even having to turn around.

He offered her a small smile when she finally did, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey, Nadine."

The way she figured it, she had two options: she could either say hey back and engage in their fun, familiar banter, or she could stay true to her goal.

In the end, she replied with a tight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and slipped on past him and out the door, reminding herself that to have done anything else just wouldn't have been good.

She came into Kelly's through the back way, more than ready to tear into a cheeseburger after a long day at the hospital. If she was lucky, she'd be able to catch Spinelli, or maybe Spinelli and Maxie. They were a joint unit now, a two-for-one deal, and oh-so-entertaining to be around.

"Mike? My usual, please. For here."

"Right away, hon. You relax, take it easy. Take off your coat and, hey, try one of the rolls. Fresh out of the oven."

She started to unbutton her coat and turned around, scanning the diner in hopes of finding her friend and his girlfriend. But instead of them, the first couple she saw was Johnny and Lulu, cuddling at one of the side tables over a heaping plate of cheese fries and two large sodas.

He looked up just then and met her eyes, and Nadine's lips parted in surprise. And then, stupid, stupid boy that he was, he flashed her a grin. She snapped her mouth shut and turned abruptly, hoping that Lulu hadn't seen that. The shrill little harpy would probably think that she was sending her boyfriend come-hither looks when she was doing nothing of the sort.

"Er, Mike?"

"Almost done, hon," he called from the kitchen.

"Can I get my order to go, please?"

--

"And then I got to thinking – hey!" Nikolas let out an undignified yelp when Nadine grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the other hallway. "I thought we were going that way."

'That way,' as he put it, led straight to Anthony Zacchara's suite, and she knew better than to let Nikolas within twenty feet of the man partially responsible for the worst night of his life. "We're going this way now."

"Oh." He looked one last time down the hall and then turned with her. "So I was thinking, why not do something in Emily's name? Every random person in this town has a hospital wing named after them, so I was thinking something different. A foundation that's a part of this hospital – something for people without health insurance."

She looped her arm through his just in case he was still feeling weak from earlier and together they rounded the corner. "So you're thinking of starting a free clinic?"

"No, no, I'm thinking of something more proactive." He shook his head, regretting his words. "I don't mean that. Free clinics are an excellent service to the underserved public, and I don't mean to trivialize them. I was thinking of setting up a foundation that would work with the uninsured – something of a lending agency, something of a philanthropic one. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Oh, she saw something, all right. Coming up the way was none other than Johnny Zacchara, presumably here to visit his father. His gait was even and relaxed, and she could make out something of a twinkle in his eyes when he spotted her. He slowed slightly, intending to say hello, and Nadine's grip on Nikolas's arm tightened.

"I think it'll do wonders to decrease the percentage of Port Charles citizens currently without health care," Nikolas was saying as Nadine picked up the pace, hoping to quickly pass Johnny without awkwardly having to stop and say hello. Besides, if she did that, there was an excellent chance that Nikolas would connect the dots and find out that the friend she was talking about was none other than his sister's boyfriend, and he probably wouldn't take too kindly to that.

"I'll have to consult with Alexis about the legal ramifications," he continued. They passed Johnny quickly, and he turned and stared after them with a confused look on his face. Nadine tried not to look over her shoulder at him because she knew that if she did, her gaze would be apologetic. "I'm not trying to privatize health insurance in my name, after all. Yes, we still have a lot of things to work out."

Unfortunately for Nadine, as far as the youngest Zacchara boy was concerned, there was nothing left to work out.

--

Her front door creaked open to reveal her fully dark apartment, and for a moment Nadine doubted that she had the strength to walk in. It had been an absolutely grueling day at the hospital and as if that wasn't bad enough, Epiphany had been in rare form and that did not bode well for any of the nurses on the fifth floor. Patrick and Ian tried to spare her from bearing the brunt of it by scheduling her into their surgeries, and that had helped some.

She had never been more thankful to be home. It was still fairly early, about eight o'clock, but she was absolutely beat – far too tired to make dinner. But that was nothing new: she rarely had the energy to make dinner once she got home from work.

"Cereal it is," she murmured to herself. After dropping her bag on the floor, depositing her jacket on a chair, and washing her hands, she poured milk and cereal into one of her Garfield cereal bowls and headed over to the couch.

She sank down onto the sofa with a sigh and kicked off her sneakers, settling her feet on the coffee table. Her curtains were parted, giving her a nice view of the city, and she didn't bother turning the lights on. When she was done, maybe she'd watch an episode of _The Black Adder_, and then she'd probably go to bed. She'd wake up rested and renewed, and tomorrow would be a good day.

A knock at the door interrupted her regimen of positive thinking, and Nadine frowned. She very rarely had visitors aside from delivery men, repairmen, and her Super wanting to know if she'd seen one of his cats, and there was certainly no reason for anyone to be paying her a call now.

She got up from the couch and shuffled toward the door, setting her cereal bowl down on the end table with the cute little Tiffany lamp her Aunt Rayleen had given her several years prior to her death. The knocking continued, and she hurried to the door and yanked it open.

"Yes? Oh."

Johnny Zacchara was leaning against her doorjamb, and when he looked at her she caught the mild annoyance and frustration in his dark eyes. "This sucks."

Nadine blinked. "Uh…what?"

"This sucks," he repeated, straightening to his full height. She took a step back, wondering if he was always that tall, and if he always had a way of looming over her like that.

"Uh…" She had no idea what sucked, but she supposed she'd better hazard a guess because he didn't seem too forthcoming with his answer at the moment. "What sucks, exactly? My apartment building? The smell in the hallway? If you say my face, I'm going to be so mad."

He laughed and shook his head. "I was just thinking that this sucked – being 'forbidden' to say hey to you and see how you're doing and hear about all your…shenanigans at the hospital. Nursely shenanigans, I mean."

"Nursely shenanigans?" She wrinkled her nose, playing along. "I prefer to think of them as monkeyshines."

Johnny tilted his head, resting it against the door, and gave her a lazy smile. "That works, too."

"Did you…What did you come here for, Johnny?"

"I just – I…" He trailed off and shook his head. "I didn't realize how much I liked talking to you. And listening to you talk," he added at her stunned look.

Her cheeks turned a rosy pink. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know," Johnny replied softly, his gaze sweeping over her face. She looked so small out of the hospital, dressed in her street clothes in the privacy of her tiny apartment. "But it's true. I liked talking to you and I liked hearing about your day at the hospital – the crazy things kids shoved up their noses that you had to take out, the surgeries you participated in, that sort of thing. I didn't realize how much I liked hearing about all that until…well, until you weren't around to tell me."

Nadine tucked a loose curl behind her ear and folded her arms across her middle, not really knowing what to say to that. She glanced over her shoulder, genuinely wanting to invite him in, but something in her held off on that. He seemed to sense her unease and cleared his throat gruffly.

"Dinner?"

Her lips parted in surprise. "What? Oh. Oh, no, that's all right. I don't think it's appropriate right now – you know, you asking me out to dinner, me accepting – it's just-"

He laughed and pointed inside at the cereal box on her coffee table. "No, I meant – that your dinner?"

She saw where he was pointing and laughed aloud, both at the fact and at her stupidity for thinking he was asking her out. "Oh. Oh, yeah. I'm usually too tired after work to cook up dinner so I just eat a good lunch at the hospital – my meal plan's covered there – and I snack throughout the day."

Johnny shot her an indulgent look. "Compulsive munching, huh?"

She remembered that comment from their night during the quarantine and smiled. "Something like that."

"Hey." Nadine was altogether unprepared when he reached out and gently grasped her hand, pulling it up between them, but then she saw what he was looking at. "Hello Ducky. You've still got it on."

She blushed fiercely at her silly little wristband and tore it off with her free hand, pitching it over her shoulder. "I'd use it on you, but somehow I think it's not age-appropriate."

"My sister would disagree," he replied good-naturedly. "She still thinks I'm all of four years old."

"I wonder why," Nadine teased, laughing when he placed a hand over his heart.

"Ouch," he winced. "You nurses always get 'em where it hurts."

"She giving you a hard time these days?"

He shrugged and went back to leaning against her door. "Well, I was cooped up in Crimson Manor for a while, which you know, and she was constantly hovering. And since I got out, she's been, like, waiting up for me at home or whatever. Our schedules are completely different but every time I walk in the house, there she is, sitting around, trying to talk to me."

"She misses you," Nadine smiled, leaning against her door as well. In retrospect she would have thought it a surprisingly intimate moment, the two of them standing so close in the dim doorway, but at the moment all she could think of was a friend – or something like it – in a troubled relationship with his sister. "You're her baby brother, after all. You said that she left when you were eight and that it wasn't an amicable parting. She just misses you, and she's glad to be back with you again."

"You know what she told me the other day?"

"What?"

"You know those old scary movies they'd show on cable late at night and sometimes on Sunday afternoons?" He shifted against the door, crossing his legs at the ankles. "The one with the zombies?"

"Yeah?"

"Claudia told me that she was like one of those zombies – one of those day-walkers."

Nadine let out a laugh. "I'm not surprised at the comparison – I'm surprised that she was the one to make it!"

He laughed along with her. "When she said that, I couldn't stop picturing her tearing the heads off innocent villagers. She promised me I was safe, though."

She contained a small smile and nodded, her eyes shining up at him. "That was good of her."

Johnny smiled back, looking down at her through hooded gaze, and looked as if he was about to say something when they heard his phone buzz. "Oh, excuse me."

He fished it out of the pocket of his overcoat and flipped it open to see a new text message.

Nadine folded her arms across her stomach. "Is, uh, everything okay?"

"Yeah," he replied absently, scanning the message. "Shit. What's the date today?"

"The nineteenth. Why?"

"Ah, fuck me." His language, when he wasn't making a conscious effort to be polite and refined as he had been trained to be, was hardly clean. "I had reservations at Café Spoleto for me and Lulu and I'm late. She's wondering where I…"

He trailed off and looked at her. "…Am."

She bit her lip and glanced down at his phone, knowing the text message to be from his irritated girlfriend waiting for him at the nicest restaurant in the city, who wouldn't likely accept 'I was hanging out with Nadine at her place' as a viable excuse. Her eyes when she looked back up at him were bright as she offered him a sad smile.

"And that," she started, backing into her apartment and leaving him to stand in the hall with a disheartened look on his face, "is why we probably had it right the first time."

He reached out to her without even knowing he was doing so. "But-"

Nadine's hand was already on the doorknob. "I think we're both just going to have to stick to our guns on this one. Goodbye, Johnny."


	19. 18

**Note – **Ah, I love this part of the story. :-D Lots of fluffy-but-not-so-fluffy Johnny&Nadine goodness!

**The Right Girl 18**

_A couple of days later…_

"How's Mrs. Jameson doing?"

Nadine picked up the patient's chart and handed it to Elizabeth, one of the woman's assigned nurses. "She held up very well through surgery, not even any arrhythmia or anything. We performed the transplant, cauterized a small ulcer in her gastric lining, and Ian got her started on the banana bag of antibiotics, full course. She's in post-op right now."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiled, flipping through the notes. "How'd you like being in the OR? It was your first transplant, right?"

Nadine nodded. "It was amazing. Was your first one with Patrick?"

Her fellow nurse nodded. "Yup, kidney transplant. There were neurological complications so he was asked to preside and ended up performing the surgery when Dr. Rice had a family emergency and couldn't continue."

"Now, I know we're not standing around chit-chatting when there are patients to be taken care of," Epiphany boomed from behind them, causing both Nadine and Elizabeth to jump. "Nurse Webber, Mrs. Jameson is not going to get better on her own."

Elizabeth gave them both a tight smile and scurried off to the ICU, leaving Nadine to bear the brunt of Epiphany's task-master charm.

"And you, Nurse Crowell, Mr. Duncan's catheter isn't going to replace itself."

"Uh, actually, I'm starting my shift in Pedes in five minutes," Nadine pointed out. "I just came to the hub because Dr. Devlin wanted me to make sure Mrs. Jameson's chart was in order."

"Oh." With nothing left to say to that, Epiphany could only nod. "All right. Just make sure you're not late."

"I won't be."

"Excuse me?" One of the mail clerks from downstairs drummed his fingers on the counter and hefted a small brown box in his other hand. "I have a package for Nurse Crowell?"

"Right there," Epiphany replied, tipping her head at Nadine. "You expecting something?"

"Not a thing," she replied, taking the package from the clerk. He nodded at them and headed down the hallway to the other wing. "Who could have sent this? I wonder what it is."

"Only one way to find out," the nurse replied dryly, handing her a pair of scissors. "Open it up."

She cut through the clear tape and set the scissors down, then opened the box up. Epiphany looked over her shoulder, curious as well. "What is it?"

"It's…" Nadine's eyes widened in delight as she pulled the item out, and she let out a little laugh. "It's a hat!"

And it was. It was the cutest black baseball cap bearing the cutest floppy ears from the Disney character Goofy and eyes that lolled about whenever the hat was shaken. She giggled and put it on, carefully pulling the bill into place, and then waggled her head causing the eyes to roll and shake.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's silly," Epiphany snorted, gathering up her charts. "And I think you've only got three minutes to get down to pediatrics, where there are plenty of patients who probably won't share my opinion."

Nadine smiled as the nurse bustled off, then reached inside the box for the note that she knew would be there, the note she didn't want to open in front of anyone else. She pulled the insert out of the envelope and found his familiar block print.

_Since we can't see each other anymore, I thought this hat with the eyes was oddly fitting. Besides, Hello Ducky and Hello Stinky probably don't make as big an impression anymore as the kids get used to them. Hope everyone enjoys._

_JZ_

She grinned and tucked the note securely into her back pocket. There would be no more dropping sensitive notes in patients' rooms for her, thank you very much. With the hat securely in place, Nadine tidied up the hub and sprinted off to the Pediatrics wing, sure that her itty-bitty patients would like her new hat just as much as she did.

--

Claudia looked up when she heard the front door slam loudly. She was right in the middle of the second set of contracts Moreau had sent over and it was either muddle through them because her apeshit lawyer was nowhere to be found, as usual, or get up and investigate.

She happily slapped the file shut and got up from her desk, skipping out of her office despite the bright red stilettos that required extra balance and care on her part. Her brother was in the foyer, angrily ripping off his gloves and his jacket and leaving those items on the chair for Reivers to find and put away because that was just what Reivers did.

"Hey, John." She crossed her arms and approached him slowly. "You all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Convincing," she replied when met with his dark glare. "Wanna try that again?"

"I said I'm fine."

"The way you're abusing your shoes says otherwise."

He paused in the act of yanking off his muddy boots and rolled his eyes. "Nothing you'd be interested in."

"I'm interested in you," Claudia tried, moving forward to take a seat on the stairs next to him. "And if something's bothering you, I'd at least like the opportunity to shoot at it."

That got a small smile out of him and Johnny shook his head ruefully. "You know, most moms just talk to the other kids' moms."

"Well, you're lucky I'm your _sister_ and not your mother, you little putz," she laughed, affectionately running her hand through his wind-blown hair. "I don't have to abide by those pesky rules of maternal conduct. So what happened? What can I do to fix it?"

"Nothing happened, it's just…" He let out a frustrated growl and leapt up from the step that he was sitting on. "It's not any of your business-"

"Few things are," she pretended to agree, containing a smile when he glared at her for her cheekiness.

"But Lulu and I got into a fight over the _stupidest_ thing." Johnny shook his head and turned his back on her, his hands planted on her hips. "I can't even remember what it was about, it was that stupid. Sometimes…"

Claudia rested her hands on her knees, her brows furrowing in concern. "Sometimes, what, John?"

He turned slowly, his expression grim and weary at the same time. "Sometimes it just feels like she keeps putting me through all these tests to prove how I feel about her when I've never _once_ given her any reason to doubt me."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he was quicker.

"Maybe she's still pissed about the whole Nadine thing, which is just bullshit because Nadine and I were friends. I never once thought of being anything more. She's just a nice girl, and she got shot at because of me, and she's funny and she's weird – in a good way – and she doesn't have any friends and…I don't know, she's kind of like me. And I like talking to her."

Claudia opened her mouth again, and again he cut her off without even noticing.

"And if Lulu's still mad about me being friends with her…" He dragged his hand through his hair. "Then I just don't get her. And I don't have anything to say to her, because that's completely unreasonable. And I've been staying away from Nadine, too, and how is that fair?"

He glared at his sister, who had once again opened her mouth. "And I know that you must be _so_ happy that I'm supposedly seeing Lulu's true colors or however you'd put it, so you can just stay quiet. Just don't say anything."

Claudia waited silently until it was clear that he was done, and then opened her mouth despite his glare. "You got a package."

Johnny stared at her; clearly, it was the last thing he expected her to say at the moment after he'd finished unloading about his problems with his girlfriend. "What?"

"You got a package. I put it in your room." She tipped her head toward the stairs and shot him a smirky look. "You should go see what it is."

He stared at her for a moment longer than was necessary and then trotted past her and up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He knew that if he looked back down, she'd be laughing at him. Reivers was in the hall upstairs and didn't even bat a lash as Johnny came barreling toward him.

"Package arrived for you today, Master John."

"Thank you," he called over his shoulder, throwing open the door to his room. "I got it, thanks."

It was sitting on his desk right next to his journal, and it didn't take him long to open it. When he pulled off the lid, Johnny found himself staring at a large yellow rubber ball bearing a wide, smiling face. A stress ball that he'd seen before…in the nurse's locker room at General Hospital.

He reached inside the box and plucked out the note he knew would be there, unfolding it to find her feminine scrawl, part pretty and part illegible.

_I got this thing one day when I got an upsetting phone call about my sister, and I've squeezed the crud out of it ever since then. But I've decided that I know someone who can probably put it to better use, so it's yours. And it works just as well if you throw it at whatever (or whoever!) is causing you undue stress. Double the fun! Also, I hate to say it, but with me as your friend, there will be days when you really need this thing._

_NC_

Johnny smiled and pocketed the note, then tossed the stress ball in the air. Though her sentiment and concern were sweet, it was the last line that really caught his attention. Johnny Zacchara had never been the sort to give up, and it paid off once again because he had his friend back.


	20. 19

The Right Girl 19

**The Right Girl 19**

_At General Hospital…_

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Nadine looked up from the paperwork she was shuffling with Elizabeth just in time to see Claudia Zacchara step out in a black dress and her red, red heels. She looked around and, spotting a familiar face at the hub, sauntered over.

"Vacuum Girl."

Elizabeth's head snapped up at the sound of her voice, and Nadine saw her instinctively draw back a step. She didn't blame her: there was absolutely no reason for a mother of two very young boys to want anything to do with a scary, scary woman like the newest mob moll in town. In fact, only someone very stupid or very brave would willingly shoot the breeze with Claudia, and Nadine knew that she herself was the former and not the latter.

"Hey. What's up?"

"My fridge is on the fritz and I was hoping you could sweet-talk it," Claudia replied, shooting her one of her trademark saucy grins. "A working girl like you should have no trouble with this sort of job."

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and momentarily forgot that Elizabeth was gaping at the two of them. "As long as you don't tell my other clients – the toaster might be small, but he's feisty."

"Got a Napoleon complex, huh?" Claudia asked sagely, grinning again when Nadine laughed. "Okay, I can't stand here all day talking about the loves of your little life. Which room is my father in these days?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Nadine could see Elizabeth turn her face away and pretend to be engrossed in the boring paperwork. And again, she didn't blame her. Claudia's father had, after all, forced her onto a ledge and taunted her with the prospect of dying until Jason Morgan joined her up there.

"I don't remember off the top of my head, but I can pull it up for you." She turned the flat-screen monitor so that it faced her and started typing. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you coming to visit your father before today."

Claudia said nothing, which made her feel awkward, and when Nadine felt awkward she rambled.

"Your brother visits him often," she announced, clicking into her father's file. "He's here all the time, actually, for one thing or another. He's on the board now, and they meet a lot for random, hospital-related things, so that explains it. Although, you know, I haven't seen him around for a while, either."

Claudia took the post-it that Nadine scribbled Anthony's room number on and folded it, creasing it with her nails. "John got sick over the weekend. Caught the flu, or whatever bug it is that's going around."

Elizabeth and Nadine both stared at her, surprised that she would bother to say anything else after getting what she was after.

"I've got him under house arrest again," she admitted. "He's coughing, he's wheezing, he's oozing weird things out of bodily orifices, mainly restricted to those on his face, and he's grossing me out. So he's locked in his room until he looks like a human being again."

Nadine laughed. "So he's being held prisoner?"

Claudia shrugged and pushed herself away from the hub. "I'm hardly the warm, fuzzy nurse type."

And with that, she sauntered off down the hall toward her father's secluded suite, leaving both nurses to stare after her.

"That is one _strange _woman," Elizabeth murmured. "But don't tell her I said so."

Nadine laughed and handed her a file. "Here's the last of Patrick's billing info for Medicare. Can you hand me Ian's insurance reports? I might as well get them organized and save myself some time later on."

"Sure thing." Elizabeth passed her the paperwork and then tapped her fingernails on the counter. "Uh, do you…know her?"

"Know her? What do you mean? Like-"

"You were just talking very comfortably with her," the nurse noted. "You got her to laugh. And you weren't nervous around her or anything, and she was…_nice_ to you."

"Claudia's never nice," Nadine chuckled.

Elizabeth smirked. "You just answered my question."

"Yes, fine, I know her," she relented. "Kind of. Not really. I just had a kind of unavoidable run-in with her that ended with her telling me that I was the unofficial mob nurse until she moved her doctor in-house."

"You mean, her asking you?"

"No," Nadine answered. "Her telling me. I didn't really have any say in the matter. So for the past month or so, I've been making a few trips to Crimson Manor if she or any of her men need anything."

"Nadine, we're not supposed to moonlight like that," Elizabeth hissed. "If anyone finds out-"

"No one will," she assured her. "Claudia's not the sort to say anything – unless she gets bored, of course, and wants to amuse herself by messing with me – and I'm always very discreet. And you're not going to say anything, are you?"

"Of course not." Elizabeth spared her a look and stacked three binders of the same color together. "I just want you to be careful, all right? Taking care of mobsters…well, you just might get more than you planned out of it. And before you know it…"

She winked at her. "You might be making a habit out of it."

Nadine didn't quite know what to say to that – much less what Elizabeth was saying to begin with. "I'm not making a habit of it, trust me. I just go over and wrap wounds, pick bullets out of various appendages, and write scripts. Usually for antibiotics and painkillers, although to the best of my knowledge, none of her men has an addiction problem of any sort, so I'm not too worried about it. And she's got her doctor just about moved in, so she has no more use for me anymore. She'll let me off soon enough."

"Just promise me you'll be careful," her colleague insisted.

Elizabeth's almost maternal concern – which really didn't say anything because Elizabeth acted maternally toward everyone, regardless of age – touched her, and Nadine smiled in reply. "Yeah, yeah, I will. Please don't worry about me."

They settled into comfortable silence and resumed organizing the paperwork into different piles, which then went into different files. Ten minutes passed with this menial task, and Elizabeth and Nadine both looked up when they heard the unmistakable click of stilettos. God, those shoes even _sounded_ red.

Nadine met Claudia's gaze and knew better than to ask if she had a nice visit with her dad. Neither one of the Zacchara children seemed particularly fond of their parental unit, and she didn't blame them or question them their judgment.

"Claudia, wait."

She stopped halfway to the elevator and turned around with a look of vague annoyance, and Nadine hopped out of the hub and came around to her as Elizabeth watched on with thinly-veiled curiosity.

"I just wanted – earlier, did –" She shook her head, willing herself to stop spitting out random words. "What you said earlier about the warm, fuzzy nurse type…was that supposed to be a hint? Because I have to tell you, I'm pretty dense when it comes to hints. So was it?"

Claudia stared at her and then, remarkably enough, indulged a smirk of pure amusement. "Not really, but I really do need my fridge fixed."

She could feel Elizabeth staring at her, but Nadine could only smile as Claudia arched a brow at her and then sauntered into the waiting elevator.

--

Lulu and Spinelli were sitting at a table by the jukebox when she entered Kelly's, and the blonde immediately shot her a dirty look that Nadine ignored entirely. The last thing she wanted was to get into another public argument with that deranged twit that served absolutely no valuable purpose in their society. Besides, Nadine had a feeling that if Lulu so much as started to get salty with her, she'd be sorely tempted to haul off and punch her in her flat, bull-dog face.

"Hey, Mike."

"How are you, hon?"

"Doing pretty good, thanks."

"How's work?"

"Just great."

He wiped his damp hands on a hand towel and braced them on the counter. "What'll it be, your usual?"

"Actually…" She glanced over her shoulder at Lulu, who was wearily swirling her French fry in ketchup as Spinelli prattled on about his newest case as Jackal, P.I. "I just want a couple things of that great chicken noodle soup you make, along with some of those butter rolls."

"Coming right up."

--

At Crimson Manor…

"Come right on in, Miss Crowell," Reivers said, sweeping her into the foyer. "Goodness, we weren't expecting you."

"Just a spur-of-the-moment visit," she assured him, holding up the bag of Kelly's take-out as proof.

"May I take your coat, Miss?"

"No, thanks, I don't plan on staying long."

"Reivers, have Eddie get my car ready," came a voice from the far end of the foyer. "I have a business dinner at the MetroCourt and I – oh."

Trevor came to a stop a few feet away from her and simply stared. "Hello. It's Nadine, isn't it? You're the nurse?"

"I'm the nurse," she beamed. "Just here for a little house-call."

The attorney looked bewildered. "Is someone sick?"

Reivers arched a brow in a rather unkind expression. "Master John is."

"Oh, yes, of course." Trevor shook his head and began to pull on the overcoat draped over his arm. "Tell John I hope he feels better. I have to be going. Goodnight, goodnight."

Reivers waited for Trevor to leave then slammed the door shut behind him. Nadine turned to him, adjusting her hold on the sack.

"Should I wait in the parlor, Reivers? Or should I just leave this in the kitchen, or-"

"You may bring it up to Master John if you wish," the butler answered. "You know where his bedroom is, don't you?"

He hadn't meant it as a provocative question, but she blushed anyway. "Uh, yeah, I think I do. So…I should just go up, then?"

Reivers nodded brightly. Claudia had already told him that he should probably be expecting 'Nurse WhatsHerName Vacuum Girl' and that he should let her see Johnny and not make her wait. "Right on up, Miss."

"Thank you, Reivers. Want a biscuit?"

"Tempting, Miss, but no."

--

Johnny was laid up in bed when she walked into his room, and he stopped in the process of hacking up a lung to sit up and stare at her. "Nadine?"

"In the flesh," she called, wandering down the little hall past his changing room and his bathroom. "Wow. It takes forever to get into your room."

"Yeah, think of me as the light at the end of the tunnel," he tried to joke before returning to that messy business of coughing up a lung. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw your sister at the hospital today and she mentioned that you were sick." She set her bag down on the ornately carved table between two handsome armchairs and began taking the food out. "So I thought I'd drop by with some chicken noodle soup. You like soup, don't you?"

"I guess. Cook's been making me take it in through an IV drip all day. It's so damn bland and watery…"

"Well, you're in luck." She held up a bottle of Mike's favorite Texan hot sauce and grinned. "Because I brought this."

He smiled and settled back on his pillows, reaching out for a tissue to blow his nose before she caught sight of the snot. That would hardly be attractive. "You didn't have to come all the way here with that, you know."

Nadine shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. I was going to Kelly's for dinner, anyway, figured I might as well. Claudia said you were disgusting, so I figured it had to be pretty bad, this bug you've got."

"My sister's always got my back," he grumbled, pitching the used-up tissue into the rapidly filling wastepaper basket. "So what is all that stuff?"

"A couple things of soup," she started, pulling all of the cartons out and arranging them on the table, "so that you can have some now and reheat for later, along with some hot sauce to flush out your sinuses. Your nose will be running like Rita Leads, but it'll help clear you up. I also got you some biscuits, just because they're amazing. I brought plenty of spoons and napkins, too. Oh, no, no, don't do that."

He was swiping at his extremely red nose with a tissue, and Nadine swatted it from his hand and tossed it into the trash. "You're going to rub your nose raw with that. Here. Blow."

Johnny sputtered as she pressed a clean tissue to his face. "I am more than capable of-"

"Blow!"

So he closed his eyes and blew his nose into the tissue she held, feeling absolutely ridiculous as she pitched it into the trash and pressed her palm to his forehead.

"Let's see what your fever's like-"

"Hey!" His head jerked and he swiped her hand away. "Your fingers are freezing!"

"I get that from my Aunt Rayleen," Nadine admitted. "Like she used to say, cold hands, warm heart. She had circulation problems since she was a girl. Well, the good news is that your fever feels like it's around 100 or 101. If you just drink plenty of fluids and get some rest, you'll flush all this from your system. And the hot soup will help your scratchy throat and you won't sound like you swallowed a frog. I'll get you that soup now, okay? Take it easy."

He leaned back against the headboard, watching as she walked across the room to retrieve his food. She balanced the carton, hot sauce, salt and pepper packets, plastic spoon, and napkins almost elegantly and was soon at his side again.

"Here we go." She opened up the steaming hot carton, added salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce, stirred it together, and handed it to him. "Eat that, get lots of rest, and in your sister's words, try to look like a human being again. And learn how to blow your nose. Geez."

He laughed and swallowed down a spoonful of the soup, then reached for the hot sauce again. "I'll try. Hey, you're not…you're not leaving, are you?"

Nadine stopped midway in getting up from the bed. "Uh…actually, yeah, I was. I just came over to drop by the food and make sure you didn't have, like, the Black Plague that someone misdiagnosed as the flu, so…yeah, I'll just be getting out of your hair."

"Stay?"

She plopped down on the bed, not because it was a conscious act, but because she was just so surprised by his plea.

"What?"

"Stay," Johnny repeated, gulping down another spoonful of his soup. "Seriously, just stay. I've been alone all day because Reivers is busy and Trevor is MIA as usual and Lulu's busy and Claudia is totally grossed out by sick people. I've been alone _all day_ and I'm going crazy in here. Just stay for a little while, please."

Nadine still wasn't sure. "But you're sick – wouldn't you feel better if you were alone and had some peace and quiet?"

"I've had peace and quiet all day," he reminded her. "I'm fucking sick of peace and quiet."

"Well…" His argument was a compelling one, and if she were honest she'd have to admit that she didn't really have anything else going on tonight or anywhere else to be. "Okay. I guess I can stay, but just for a little while."

Johnny smiled and slurped up a noodle. "That's all I ask."

--

Four hours later…

"Welcome home, Miss."

Claudia didn't acknowledge Reivers's ridiculous sentiment as she walked into the foyer, already stripping off her coat and handing it to him. The butler moved off to hang it in the closet and the first thing she did was take off her shoes. They were brand new red sling-backs, not yet broken-in, and they were killing her.

She breathed a sigh of relief and wiggled her toes in the carpet, glad to be free again. Shoes in hand, she trudged up the winding stairs leading to her second-floor bedroom. The business dinner with Richard and Trevor Lansing had run long, and with no results. Ric still owned the piers with no plans to sell, and Trevors was still a sanctimonious bastard. Everything remained the same.

She shuffled down the hall, more than ready to crawl into a hot bath before bed, and heard something coming from her little brother's room that made her pause. Careful to keep quiet, she eased his partially ajar door fully open and crept down the little hallway that led to his main bedchambers.

John was propped up in bed on several fluffy pillows, his blankets tucked up around his lap and an empty tureen of soup on the floor next to him. A paper carton of biscuits sat on his desk, right next to where Nadine was sitting, and his wastepaper basket was overflowing with crumpled up tissues. Her brother had an old football in his hands, the one that he and their father used to play catch with on the rare evenings when Anthony wasn't busy with work.

As usual, the little nurse was prattling on about that dead relative of hers.

"I don't know the answer, really, because I've never been in that situation, but it reminds me of what my Aunt Rayleen used to say. When the music changes, so does the dance. So what I might think is appropriate in that situation probably isn't what you'd think was appropriate, and naturally, if the situation changed, then what either one of us thought was appropriate before probably wouldn't be appropriate afterwards."

Johnny laughed and aligned his fingers with the stitches, pulling his arm back to throw. "You know what my sister says about you?"

Nadine caught the ball easily and lined up her fingers as well without even having to look. "Do I really want to?"

"She says you take forever to say nothing. Oof." That last sound came from her throwing the ball against his stomach. "Hey!"

"Well, I can't bean her in the tummy with a football, so you'll have to do."

"But I'm sick!"

"Excuses, excuses. Right here, Joe Namath. And try not to break the lamp this time."

"I didn't break the lamp, I just knocked it over. And you don't even like that lamp."

"The woodwork has strange faces carved into it. They're looking at me."

"They're not faces!" He pulled his arm back and threw the ball to her, resuming their easy back-and-forth rhythm that Claudia assumed they had going on for quite some time now. "They're leaves and twigs – it's supposed to look like a tree or something."

"Trees can have faces. There's this one right outside my apartment building that has this old-man face. Creeps me out every single day when I leave for work."

"You're insane."

"And you throw like a girl."

Johnny grinned and caught the ball easily, lobbing it back at her without losing a beat. "Ah, see, sweet talk will get you everywhere."

Claudia rolled her eyes and left the room, thankfully going unnoticed. Not that she was worried anymore about being detected; she had a feeling that her brother and the Vacuum Girl were so engrossed in their little game that she could do a tap-dance on his night-stand and they'd just go on playing.

"Reivers?"

He was standing three paces down the hall with a stack of clean linens in his hands, ace butler that he was. "Yes, Miss?"

Claudia tipped her head toward her brother's bedroom before walking past him toward her own. "Tell one of our men to make sure she gets home all right."


	21. 20

**The Right Girl 20**

Johnny was texting on his phone – probably with the insipid Boo-Hoo Spencer – when she walked in, and Claudia rapped her knuckles on the threshold of his bedchambers to get his attention.

"Hey, you." She tilted her head to the side and gave him a small smile. "How you feeling today?"

"Much better, but still a little under the weather," he admitted. "Fever's gone, but my throat hurts and I'm still stuffed up and tired. And my back hurts."

"Old man," she muttered under her breath, flashing him a smile when he glared at her. "You want some more tea or something?"

"Nah. It makes me have to get up to take a leak every twenty minutes." His thumbs moved rapidly over the keypad on his phone, and he barely looked at her. "What've you got under your arm?"

"This?" Claudia lifted the small package so that it was in full view and twirled it around in her hands, making whatever was inside clatter around. "A package for you."

She wanted to laugh at how quickly his head snapped up, but knew that he'd get all pissy and defensive if she did that.

"Really?"

"Right here. You get it if you put your phone down."

He didn't need as much coaxing and wheedling as she thought he might, and Claudia was mildly surprised when her brother texted a quick line – probably _gotta go, talk to you later _– and dropped his phone onto the bed. "Give it here."

She walked over and handed it to him, then awkwardly deliberated over whether or not to leave. She always gave him his privacy when the packages arrived, partially to irritate him because that privacy insinuated that the packages were intimate and meaningful in ways that they probably weren't, and she had never once read the little notes that came with them or anything. But at the same time, she was always curious.

"Can I see what it is?"

Johnny was already cutting through the tape with his army knife. "Yeah, sure. Here, drop this back in my drawer."

She put away his knife as he tore open the box, then peered over his shoulder. "…That's it?"

Johnny stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"That," she replied, tipping her chin toward the contents of the box. "That's it? I thought it'd be, like, I don't know, something…cool."

"It is," he insisted, pulling the things out. "Check this out. A bag of cough drops and-"

"A book." Claudia threw up her hands. "A freaking book."

"Not just any book – _In Our Time_ by Ernest Hemingway." He inspected the back cover as his sister shook her head. "Nice. I haven't read this one yet."

"Read the note."

"What?"

"The note," she repeated. "There's always a note, right? Read the note. Let's find out what Vacuum Girl was thinking."

He glared at her, debating for a second whether or not he should actually do what she asked. Reading the note would open him up to her teasing, but not reading the note in front of her would make it feel like the notes were private and…secret and special or something, which they weren't.

"Fine." He pulled out the scrap of paper and unfolded it. "_Sorry I kept you up so late last night."_

"Dirty," Claudia grinned, walking around his bed toward his desk. "I like it. There's hope for that little milkmaid yet. Keep going."

"So glad I have your permission," he murmured dryly. _"I should have known better. Neither one of us gets enough sleep as it is. Here are some cough drops. I know you hate the honey kind so they're wintergreen. And I also added something that puts me to sleep every time I pick it up. Ha ha!"_

"Are you kidding?" Claudia, who was leaning against his chair, arched a brow mockingly at him. "She actually wrote 'ha-ha'? Like, spelled it out? How old is she, twelve?"

He silenced her with a look and resumed reading the note. _"I kid. I'm actually sending it to you not based on its soporific qualities, but because boys seem to dig this kind of stuff."_

His sister snorted. "Boys don't dig books, boys dig-"

"Anyway," Johnny interrupted far more loudly than was necessary. "_God forbid you ever pick up a Jane Austen historical romance, right? Get better soon. NC."_

"NC?"

"Nadine Crowell."

Her sister snapped her fingers. "Ah, so _that's_ her name."

Johnny rolled his eyes and set the card down to his phone, which was buzzing. He glanced at it, flipped it open to receive the message so it would stop making noise, and then turned it off. "I don't know why you care – it's not like you'd ever use her real name anyway."

Claudia, who had seen all this with his phone, only smiled. "I'm like that weirdo Spinelli kid you like so much – I have fun nicknames for all."

"There's one big difference between you and Spinelli."

"My balls have dropped and his haven't?"

He was more than used to her outrageous remarks and Johnny didn't even bat a lash as he picked up his new book. "I…yeah, Claudie, that's it exactly."

She smirked and twirled a lock of raven hair around her finger. "…How's your book, John? Feel any smarter yet?"

He glanced up from behind the Hemingway and scowled. "…Shut up."

--

"And I was trying to give Jake his cough medicine but he wouldn't take it," Elizabeth was saying as she and Nadine sorted patient charts at the hub. "He was getting really fussy, right? So Cameron comes up and says to me, 'Momma, why don't you get Hello Ducky like Nurse Nadie?'"

Nadine let out a laugh. "Yes! I have another fan!"

"Your cute little toys have _two_ fans," her co-worker remarked with a smile. "Especially that little Goofy hat of yours. Cam adores it. I think it scares Jake a little, with the roly-poly eyes, but at least it holds his interest."

"I love it, too," Nadine admitted. "It's just the cutest thing. One hat to rule them all."

"Clearly."

"Excuse me."

Both women looked up to see a tall man dressed in a black overcoat with a white parcel in his hand. Elizabeth and Nadine exchanged looks, but Nadine didn't know that the reason her colleague appeared nervous was because she recognized the look the man was sporting and had already guessed at his profession.

"Um, can I help you with something?"

He shook his head at the brunette nurse and set the box down in front of Nadine. "No, thank you. This is for you. Have a good day."

And then he turned and left.

Elizabeth gaped after him as Nadine stared down at the box. "That was…weird. What is it?"

"A box," Nadine replied, hefting it easily and looking surprised at the weight. "Would you excuse me for just a minute?"

"Yeah, sure."

The walk – okay, trot – to the locker room was a quick one, and before long Nadine was alone in the room. She sat down on the little bench in front of her locker, safely hidden from view should anyone come in through the door, and pulled the box open. Inside she found a thick black hardcover book with the title embroidered on with silver thread, and, of course, the customary note.

_Couldn't get to the bookstore in my condition, so I picked this off my shelf. It's _The Count of Monte Cristo_, my favorite romance story. And for your information, I have read Jane Austen. Sometimes, I quote her in everyday conversation. Like, just this morning I told Cook that my sore throats are always worse than anyone's. She didn't get the joke, but I was quoting Austen nevertheless. It's very embarrassing and at times emasculating._

_JZ_

She snickered to herself and gently tucked the card inside her new book. Thankfully, no one had entered the locker room during her little break and she was able to place it in her locker and leave without anyone being the wiser.

--

"Hey." Nikolas Cassidine poked his head into the staff lounge when he saw Nadine curled up on one of the overstuffed sofas with something in her lap. "I didn't think I'd find you here. No, no, don't get up."

She waited as he crossed the room and then shifted, making room for him to sit next to her. "How are you feeling? How's today going so far?"

"Better than most," he admitted. "I'm not as tired as I usually am, and my infection is virtually gone. I had a bad reaction to one of the medications Ian put me on, but he said I responded very well to the next round of antibiotics, so…that's good."

"That's very good," Nadine smiled back.

"So, I, uh, noticed you were reading." He tipped his chin at her book. "I've never seen you do that."

"Read?" She placed her finger on the page, marking it, and closed the book. "That's insulting. But if you must know, I can read. Hooked on Phonics worked for me."

Nikolas laughed and shook his head. "No, no, I meant, I've never really seen you sit down and relax and just take a minute for yourself. You're always running around all over the place, you just never seem to sit still. It's good."

"Well, I pulled a double shift today-"

He snapped his fingers. "There it is."

"-and it starts in an hour so I figured there was no point in going home and that I'd just relax here with a book," she finished with a smile. "I even went down to the caf and got myself one of their chicken wrap things."

"Take advantage of that meal plan," he agreed. "So how is it?"

"The chicken wrap? Pretty good once I added mustard and hot sauce to it."

"I meant the book," he smirked. "What, you find it in the Pediatrics wing or something?"

Nadine blinked. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because it's the only wing of the hospital that offers fairly decent reading material," Nikolas grinned.

She smiled back and shook her head. "No, no, not from Pedes. It was actually…it was a gift from a friend of mine."

The Cassidine Prince smirked and nodded, thumping his cane twice on the carpet. "Good for you."


	22. 21

**The Right Girl 21**

He was just about done getting ready for his Valentine's Day dinner with Lulu, provided he could get his tie on right. They had reservations for dinner at the _Moonlight Café_, and he knew that Lulu would love it. She really enjoyed fine dining at expensive restaurants where the wine list stretched on for pages. If _Café Spoleto_ was one of the nicest restaurants in town, then the _Moonlight Café _was definitely _the_ nicest restaurant in all of Port Charles. They were most recently famous for publicly asking Caroline Corinthos-Jacks to leave when she showed up in a dress with a hemline ending five inches above her knee instead of the requisite three inches, and then when she refused, the security staff escorted her out.

Claudia had laughed her ass off when she heard about that.

A knock at the door interrupted his wrestling match with his tie. "Come on in!"

"Master John, it seems that a parcel came for you," Reivers called as he made his way up through the little hallway. "I have it with me."

"I'll take that," Johnny replied, momentarily letting go of the black silk noose around his neck. "Small one."

"I'm told size doesn't matter, Sir," the butler smirked, examining the tie. "May I assist you with that?"

"Please." Johnny adjusted his hold on the box as Reivers moved forward and made quick work of crafting a double Windsor knot out of the black silk. "Done?"

"Yes. You look quite dapper, Master John. You are having dinner with Miss Spencer, correct?"

"Correct," he answered, finally free to open the box now that Reivers had taken a step back. "She should be here any minute."

"Then I shall make sure I'm downstairs to receive her. See you momentarily, Sir."

He pulled the lid off the box and tossed it on the bed, then smiled when he saw what was inside. A small mesh bag full of candy was nestled in there, along with a note. He pulled it out and saw that the candies were heart-shaped. The note explained.

_You quote Jane Austen, huh? The one I quote most frequently is Woody Allen. He's such a cute little man. Clearly, there is something very wrong with both of us. And by the way? _The Count of Monte Cristo_? __**SO**__ not a romance story!! Trust a boy to think it is!_

_NC_

He laughed out loud at that and folded the note back up, his shoulder still shaking. He jiggled the candies in his hand, shaking the mesh bag loose, and pulled out a couple when he realized they were mints. The heart thing was interesting, but he figured that she went with them because they had been talking about romance books and not because she was sending him _Be Mine_ hearts or anything on Valentine's.

He pocketed the candy and trotted out into the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen. Taking the shortcut to Claudia's office, he pulled out a piece of scrap paper from her desk and jotted down a few lines of instructions for Reivers. He then pulled out his private stash of cardstock and envelopes and used his sister's good pen to write a note.

He finished up not a moment too soon, because he heard Reivers calling him from the foyer. "Master John, I believe Miss Spencer has arrived."

"Thank you." He replaced the pen, slipped the card into the envelope, grabbed the instructions, and headed out into the hall. Lulu had pulled up and his butler was showing her in. "Hey."

He stopped when he saw her, momentarily struck by how nice she looked. Her dress was red, as he knew it would be because of what day it happened to be. Her hair was carefully curled (because it was naturally as straight as a bone) and piled atop her head in an intricate design. She had applied more makeup than she usually did, having done up her eyes to look much bigger and darker, and even slicked on dark red lipstick.

It had been a while since he had seen her dressed up, or any woman dressed up, for that matter. Lulu normally looked very put together and she always wore make-up, and the only other girl he had occasion to speak to was Nadine, who always wore her scrubs and her low-key street clothes with almost no make-up at all.

"You look…amazing."

She beamed and sauntered over toward him, rising up on her toes despite her four-inch heels to press a kiss to his cheek. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am. Hold on one sec…" He patted his pocket, making sure he had his wallet, and then remembered Nadine's mints that he'd stashed there. He quickly pulled them out and deposited them on one of the tables.

Lulu eyed the red mesh bag suspiciously. "Did someone send you candy?"

"Oh." Johnny bit his lips and looked at the offending mints. "No. Those are Claudia's – I was just sneaking a few. Hopefully, she won't notice. She's very miserly when it comes to her candy."

Lulu laughed and stepped aside as Reivers handed Johnny his overcoat. For a moment, Johnny considered Nadine's note in his pocket, but realized that taking it out and putting it on the table would surely invite suspicion and then, anger. It was better to leave it just where it was, in his breast pocket, safely out of sight.

"Thank you, Reivers."

"Have a lovely evening, Master John, Miss Spencer."

Lulu smiled as Johnny ushered her out the door, looking over her shoulder when he stopped and passed an envelope and a piece of paper to his butler.

"Please make sure this is taken care of."

Reivers took the papers and pocketed them, nodding solemnly. "Of course, Sir. Enjoy yourself, and don't worry, I'll keep your sister from waiting up."

"You're going to slip a sleep aid in her dinner?"

"Or apply chloroform to her face towels," he shrugged. "I haven't decided which yet."

Johnny grinned and stepped out into the February night. "Yeah, it's no wonder you're our butler – you think just like we do."

--

_That night at General Hospital…_

"Hey, stranger."

Nikolas opened his eyes and saw Nadine poking her head into his room. He grunted a little with the effort of sitting up and managed to prop himself up on his pillows. "Hey. What brings you by?"

"I brought you a book," she answered, letting herself in and shutting the door behind her. In her hand, Nikolas spied a handsome brown leather bound book. "I ran into your butler who was here with a special delivery, so I offered to take it to you for him."

"_Captain of My Dreams,_" Nikolas murmured, taking the book from her. Nadine watched as he gingerly traced the letters with his fingertips. "Hm."

She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet and clasped her hands behind her book. "I take it this is a special book?"

"A very special book," he replied softly, finally cracking it open and gently leafing through the brittle pages. "…I used to read this to Emily when she was struggling with breast cancer."

Nadine's eyes widened and she slowly dropped onto the edge of his bed. "I had no idea Emily had cancer."

"It went into remission, thank God," was his reply. "Her birth mother died of breast cancer, and she was always terrified that it would take her, too. When she found the lump, she didn't know what to do. She was convinced that she was dying."

Dark eyes peeked up at her over the edge of the book. "I wasn't about to let her go so easily."

She smiled warmly and patted his leg. "I'm absolutely sure you weren't."

"I remember the two of us just lying in bed at Wyndemere in the afternoons," he murmured. "I would read to her from this book until she fell asleep. She used to love it when I read to her. She was so strong, too. Once she realized that I wasn't willing to give up on her and our love, she fought the cancer with everything she had."

He licked his lips and slowly flipped his way to the middle of the book. "I – would you mind if I read it to you?"

"Not at all," Nadine replied, settling herself more comfortably on his bed. She knew enough to know by now that this was part of his struggle with his own grief over losing his fiancé. If Nikolas wanted to read to her, then by God, she'd sit and listen even if he wanted to go through three hundred pages in one sitting. "Please. I'd love it if you read to me."

Nikolas cleared his throat and started at one of his favorite passages. _"Her gardens were like her diaries, her books of terrible, beautiful, funny, frightening, dangerous secrets. Her gardens were filled with red and gold and white memories, white-hot memories and numbing cold memories, mnemonics that trigger-_"

A knock at the door interrupted him, and they both looked over to see a tall man in a black overcoat. Nadine stood immediately and walked over to open the door.

"Uh, hi, can I help you with something?"

"Are you Nurse Crowell?"

She nodded. "Yeah. What's this about?"

He handed her a large, rectangular box tied with a red bow and took a step back. "Package for you. Have a nice night."

Nikolas shifted in bed, trying to get a better look. "Turn around, let's see."

Nadine hefted the box and made her way back to his bedside. Nikolas brought up his legs, waving for her to set it down on the bed, and together they both stared at it.

"Were you expecting a package?"

"I'm never expecting a package," she smiled, tugging on the bright red ribbon. "That's what makes it so fun."

He didn't quite understand that, but Nikolas waited patiently as she opened up the box. Once she had it open, Nadine let out a little laugh. "Oh, my gosh!"

"What is it?"

She held up a golden bottle that resembled Crystal champagne and two carefully packed glasses. "Sparkling apple cider and two champagne flutes. How lucky for us, huh?"

He laughed and inspected the bottle when she passed it over to him and didn't even see her reach the note. "I didn't know they sold apple cider in bottles like this…"

Nadine wasn't paying attention and was instead eagerly reading the note that she knew had to be there. As sweet as the gifts often were, the little notes were the best part. She couldn't even remember who had started this little tradition between her and Johnny, the silly little gifts and the little cards, but she loved it all the same.

_For whoever's lucky enough to spend Valentine's Day Night with you – I'm guessing a bunch of knee-knibblers that need their flu shots. Sorry I couldn't send enough flutes for all; it'll have to be BYOSC. Bring Your Own Sippy Cup. I almost sent you actual champagne, but I didn't want Epiphany to catch you. She scares me. And I'm in the 'real estate' business, and she still scares me. Although Claudia's taken to calling it the Sunshine Factory for some reason, so these days I can't be sure._

_JZ_

Nadine laughed and stuck the note in her pocket, surprised that his sister still remembered that little bit from their first conversation. Both the Zacchara siblings were quite a trip.

"I hope you like sparkling cider," she told Nikolas, setting the flutes on the night table so that she could pour the drinks. "Because I'm not drinking all this alone."

"Who's all this from?" Nikolas wanted to know.

"Oh, no one, just from a friend of mine."

He tipped his head toward the door. "That wasn't him, was it?"

Nadine let out a horrified laugh. "Oh, God, no. I have no idea who that was."

"Is it a man, though?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I was just going to say that in my personal opinion and experience, being a man and all…" He gladly accepted the flute that Nadine handed him and waited until she had settled herself down on his bed once more.

"Let's just say that a man who sends a woman a bottle of champagne complete with flutes and a note that makes her laugh and blush like you just did isn't content to just be labeled a friend."

His words made her blush even more fiercely, and Nadine quickly shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that. Seriously, it's not."

Nikolas settled back against his pillows, looking a little too smug for her comfort. "So what _is_ it like? Tell me."

"Well…" She let out a sigh and shrugged. "We're just…I guess we're kindred spirits, in a way. We're just two people that have been alone for a good deal of our lives, and have faced our fair share of loss and heartache. And for some reason, we just click really well. I can't really explain it."

Nikolas shrugged and lifted his flute to his lips. "Yeah, that's how me and Emily were."


	23. 22

**The Right Girl 22**

Nadine was on her phone when Elizabeth Webber reported to the hub at the start of her shift, and she waved before turning her back to continue the conversation. "Yeah, dinner sounds great. I do so eat! Okay, anyway, I'd love to meet you. Let's go to Kelly's – but let's not sit so close to the door. Spinelli's favorite table is the one by the door, and the drafts that come in are just ridiculous. I…what? I, uh, yeah, I guess we can do that. Your place or mine? Yeah, mine's fine, that's fine. Come over around eight. Yeah, great. No, I'll definitely be home by then. Okay. Bye."

She flipped it off and slid it into the pocket of her jeans, turning when she heard Elizabeth speak.

"Got a hot date?"

Nadine laughed and threw up her hands. "Oh, please. I don't even remember what a hot date is. I'm just hanging out with a friend that I haven't been able to see in a while."

Elizabeth clipped on her ID as Nadine hopped out of the hub and headed for the elevators. "Well, have a good time tonight. See you tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey! It's me! Open the damn door before I drop this!"

Nadine wiped her hands on a dishtowel and hurried over to the door that Johnny was kicking at, presumably because his arms were otherwise occupied carrying their dinner. "Hey, come on in. What'd you get?"

"Two medium pizzas, one veggie and one sausage, and an order of crazy bread," he replied, maneuvering himself and the boxes in through her door and over to her coffee table. "Here fine?"

"Yup. I'll get the sodas."

It didn't take them long to set up the food, and the two pizzas, a small stack of flimsy disposable plates (the kind that needed doubling up), a large stack of napkins, the crazy bread, and a six-pack of Wild Cherry Pepsi were soon arranged on her coffee table.

Johnny sat down on the couch and used her plastic pizza cutter to serve them both, and Nadine tried not to notice when his fingers brushed hers as he handed her the plate. "You wanna watch something?"

"What?"

He tipped his head toward her VCR/DVD player. "You know, like, a TV show, a DVD, a DVD of a TV show…"

She laughed at how silly she was being and hopped up to check out what she had. "Well, I've got a ton of chick flicks, but somehow I doubt you'd be interested in those. Let's see…"

Johnny abandoned his pizza and came up right behind her, also studying her collection. "Geez, you have _all_ the adaptations of _Pride and Prejudice_? Seriously?"

"I told you I like Jane Austen!"

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?"

She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, knowing he was quoting the lady in question. "Oh, shut up."

"Oh, for crying out…" He let out a disgruntled sigh and plucked a CD from the shelf beneath the one that housed her DVDs. "You own a Girls Aloud CD?"

"They're a good band!"

"They're kitsch," he argued, slipping it right back into place. "They're the opposite of art! They destroy art – they destroy souls. And Britain's artistic credibility throughout the world."

She rolled her eyes and smacked her hand over the CDs, hiding the titles from his view. "You done insulting my taste in music?"

"I've got to get you some _good_ music," he murmured, grabbing her hand and pulling it down so he could continue his perusal. Nadine gently pulled her hand back when he didn't let go on his own. "You need The Who, you need Clapton, you need the Stones, maybe some Thelonius Monk and Coltrane compilations…Is this honestly the kind of stuff you listen to?"

"I don't buy CDs based on what kind of music I listen to."

Johnny looked over at her and shook his head. "No, because that would actually make sense."

He laughed when she rolled her eyes. "No, I mean, if I like a certain single or whatever, I'll download it-"

"Illegally?" he teased.

She shot him a withering look and neatly evaded the question. "-And I'll put it on my iPod and listen to it. But I buy albums when the songs are, like, more meaningful. Like, they're pertinent to me. Some of it is stuff I never would have listened to otherwise, but-"

"So the CDs on your shelf represent the soundtrack of your life?"

"Exactly," she burst out, relieved that he'd gotten it. "That's exactly it. And even just seeing them sitting there is kind of nice, you know? Like, seeing my life in music. It's not necessarily what I listen to day to day when I'm working out or running errands, but it's still like the soundtrack of my life."

Johnny schooled his features, containing a smirk, and ran his fingertip along the line of CDs. "You name this soundtrack yet?"

"No. Why? You have a thought for a title?"

"Yup," he replied proudly. "I call it _PMS: The Golden Collection_. Ow!"

She had hit him again, and it was more amusing than hurtful. "That's not nice."

"Accurate, though," he replied, grinning as she tried to swipe at him again. He caught her wrists easily on the first try and held them between them, refusing to let her go. "I'm so sending you copies of those CDs so you can actually display something worthwhile on the shelf."

"Sending them in a pretty little box?" she grunted, still trying to break free. "Leggo."

"Fine, fine." Johnny gently released her from his grip and rested his arm on the shelf. "Okay, seriously, what are we watching?"

"How do you feel about…_The Pianist_?"

"Isn't that a Holocaust flick?"

"Uh, yeah."

He scratched the stubble on his chin. "A little depressing for a pizza-and-a-movie night, don't you think?"

"Uh…romantic comedy? No, no," she added, avoiding his questioning look and passing right over _How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days _and _Runaway Bride_. That was too date-like, and this definitely wasn't a date. (So that meant _50 First Dates _was totally out of the question…darn.)

A date was something different. Sure, it included food and entertainment…both of which they were currently enjoying…

Shoot.

Nadine shook her head and studied her collection. No, no, this was nothing like a date. A date meant two people who shared a mutual sort of…attraction. And she wasn't attracted to Johnny; nothing of the sort had ever crossed her mind.

He cleared his throat just then and once again rubbed the dark stubble on his cheek, and for a moment she couldn't help but stare. He was dressed so casually in his black boots, a pair of dark, whiskered jeans that probably cost as much as her monthly car insurance, and a black sweater that fit him just right…

Ah, shit.

Johnny blinked. "Did you just say, liar, liar, pants on fire?"

"No," she lied. "Uh…how do you feel about British comedy?"

"I say put it in and let's eat, because I'm starving."

"Great." She popped the second season of _Jeeves and Wooster_ into her DVD player and joined him on the couch. He passed her a soda and her plate and settled back next to her as the theme music began to play. "I think you'll like this – it's just dry British wit and random buffoonery."

"Always a crowd-pleaser," he agreed.

* * *

_Half an hour later…_

As the end credits rolled superimposed over a very young Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, Nadine became acutely aware of the fact that Johnny's arm was stretched out on the couch behind her. She glanced over at him, wondering if there was anything else to that otherwise innocuous position, and found him munching on a pizza crust after having polished off one entire pie. He seemed interested enough in whatever was playing out on screen and she willed herself to relax.

There was certainly no reason to make an otherwise nice evening awkward by reading into every little gesture, every little chuckle, every little movement. She and Johnny were having a good time, their first real 'hanging out as friends' moment, and she was being weird and he'd surely pick up on it and-

Lost in her mental ramblings, Nadine hadn't noticed that Johnny had set his empty plate on the table and was now regarding her curiously. She looked over and found his dark eyes on her, as if he could see right into her, and could only stare back.

She had no idea how long they sat there, just looking at each other, and absolutely no idea what should come next. But in the end, Johnny, as always, saved the moment from becoming awkward.

He leaned back and lifted his legs onto the coffee table, smirking defiantly at her. "You know what? I never responded to your literary comment from earlier."

Nadine blinked, puzzled. "What comment?"

"_The Count of Monte Cristo _is so a romance story."

She let out a laugh, relieved at the immediate change in subject, and turned on the couch to face him, her legs crossed. "It is not! How can you even think that?! It's horrible!"

"It's beautiful," he insisted, cracking open another soda for both of them. "How do you not see that?"

"He kills his wife's husband – she's devastated. And all in the name of what, revenge?" She tossed her hands in the air, exasperated. "Love doesn't motivate his actions – vengeance does."

He arched a brow at her. "Isn't there something beautiful about revenge?"

"What?"

"Just a little?"

"No!"

He rolled his eyes, and at that moment Nadine was struck by how grateful she was that he'd made it all feel easy again. "You're such a girl."


	24. 23

** Note** – Just in case it's not clear, "the Blonde One" is Lulu and "the Intrepid Blonde One" is Maxie.

**The Right Girl 23**

_At Crimson Manor…_

"You know, you really didn't have to offer to do this," she told him as he pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and began carefully washing his hands at the kitchen sink. "I didn't cook for you last time – you brought take-out from Eli's. So, technically, I should probably be cooking for you."

"You can't cook," he pointed out.

"Not at all."

Johnny smiled and took out the pots and pans that he needed, then began to systematically wash and prepare his ingredients. "We would have ended up eating stale pop-Tarts in front of your television again while watching old episodes of _The Black Adder_."

"You said you had fun doing that! You said it was…cool. Laid-back."

"I was lying. Those marshmallow fudge ones were the worst things I've ever tasted."

Nadine shook her head sadly. "It's all that rich-boy living of yours – it's killed Pop-Tarts for you."

He looked up from dicing an onion and grinned. "Somehow, I'll survive."

"Without individually wrapped pastries made with artificial fruit flavors?" Nadine shook her head. "Somehow, I doubt it."

"Well, that's what you're for."

"What?"

"You're a nurse, right?" he reasoned, chopping up the last of his vegetables. "You'll save me."

"I'll shove Dunkaroo's down your throat."

"You mentioned those the other day." His back was toward her as he measured out one and a half cups of rice and deposited them in a clean bowl. "What are they?"

"They're these little packs that have these, like, two different compartments and one is filled with these little cookies and the other part is filled with chocolate or vanilla frosting."

So far, it didn't sound like anything too special – or too appetizing – but Johnny decided to give her the benefit of a doubt. "Are they special cookies?"

Maybe they were imported from Europe, or made with fine Belgian chocolate or something.

"They're shaped like kangaroos."

He stared at her, and in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't have been surprised by that answer, or how seriously she supplied it. "Ah. Of course."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Snob."

"Philistine." His shoulders shook with laughter, and he glanced at her as he splashed olive oil into a pot. "Besides, the way I see it, this dinner that I so graciously offered to cook for you is probably the first decent meal you've had since…since…Well, you get my point."

"I usually get my food plastic-wrapped," she agreed helpfully, tapping her nails on the counter as she watched him cook. She figured he'd be worried about getting oil or vegetable juices on his black jeans or his nice black sweater, but Johnny seemed perfectly at ease and unconcerned. "Or in little boxes. Or in squeezie-bottles. More convenient that way."

"Mm," he murmured, "there's something to be said for the Euclidian perfection of our meals-on-the-go."

"Shut up."

Johnny began adding ingredients to his pot and brandished a wooden spoon to stir the mess with. "Hey, weren't you trying to tell me about that surgery you did today?"

"You want to hear about that?"

"I like your hospital stories," he replied honestly, and she didn't doubt him for a minute. "None of the things you see every single day are like anything I have to deal with. I like hearing about it. So you were telling me…?"

"Oh, right." She tossed her bangs out of her face and leaned against the counter, bringing her legs up underneath her so that she could sit on them. "Well, normally, Patrick and Ian are the ones that get me in on the cool surgeries, but today, oddly enough, it was Robin. See, this girl – Caucasian female, seventeen years old-"

"Forgive the interruption, but, Master John, if I may have a minute of your time?"

They both looked over to see Reivers wringing his hands in the doorway of the kitchen. Claudia appeared, too, and slipped in behind him. She took off her suit jacket and draped it on one of the kitchen chairs, eyeing her brother and Nadine curiously.

"What are you doing here?"

"I invited Nadine to dinner," Johnny replied, wiping his hands on a towel. "You know, since I always eat at her place. What are you doing home so late?"

"I went by the hospital to see Daddy again," she replied, sneaking a piece of tomato from his cutting board and popping it into her mouth.

He flipped the towel over the handrail and arched a brow at her. "That's the third time this month."

His sister shrugged. "Hey, who am I to stop him from dispensing his fatherly advice?"

Johnny knew there was more to it – clearly, his sister had business on the brain and that was why she'd been going to see their father more – but he also knew there was no way to discuss it with Nadine in the room. Instead, he turned to his nervous butler. "I'm sorry, Reivers, you were saying something?"

"A small matter has arrived that requires your immediate attention, I'm afraid, Sir."

Johnny wasn't following. "What are you talking about?"

"Your Clydesdale broke out of its stall and is tearing up the floor out in the stables," Claudia called loudly, earning a dark look from her brother when he realized what was going on. Obviously, Lulu had dropped in for a quick moment and was waiting for him out in the foyer. "Better go see to it."

"You have horses?" Nadine asked excitedly, making Claudia smirk. "Wow, I love horses. The only other person that I know of who has a horse is Nikolas. His is named Sheba. What's yours named?"

He interrupted his sister, whose canary-like grin told him that she was two seconds away from yelling out the name of the youngest Spencer child. The task at hand was to keep his sister quiet and to go see what his girlfriend wanted so he could usher her sweetly out the door before she realized he had company and flipped her lid. "I'll be back in a second, okay? And Claudie, I'm warning you…"

His sister shrugged and resumed picking off his cutting board. "Yeah, yeah."

She moved aside as Nadine rose to get a glass of water and headed over to the kitchenette where she'd left one of her magazines from earlier. In her free time, Claudia had decided to redecorate Crimson Manor room by room, and she was currently looking at a nice collection of imported rugs advertised in the glossy rag. She licked the remaining tomato juice off her fingertips and flipped to the page she'd earmarked, and remained engrossed in the pretty pictures until she heard something crackle.

"Vacuum Girl."

Nadine, who had been staring out the window in the direction of the distant stables, practically jumped in surprise. "What?"

"If you don't want to ruin my brother's seasoned vegetable rice base, you'll add half a cup of water and a big pinch of salt and cumin."

"Oh." Nadine stared at the pot, which was starting to smoke, and quickly moved forward. "Uh, right. Okay."

She did what she was told to, even though she felt kind of weird sticking her fingers in Johnny's spice jars, and then glanced over at Claudia who was still poring over her magazine. "So, uh, you cook?"

The older woman didn't even bother to look up. Nadine wasn't offended by the pattern of disrespect, however. "No. I eat what Johnny cooks. And what Cook cooks. But that's redundant."

Nadine chuckled and resumed stirring, hoping that she was at least holding the spoon properly, (she couldn't be sure) and was more than relieved when Johnny entered the kitchen and gently brushed her aside.

"Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," he replied kindly, reaching for the rice he'd measured earlier. "I took care of it."

"Get the Clydesdale back in the stall, John?" his sister asked oh-so-innocently, if not for the wicked twitch of her lip.

Johnny tried not to glare too darkly at her when Nadine turned to him. "…I took care of it."

Claudia smirked and, miraculously, remained silent.

"So," Johnny started, eager to change the subject from anything even remotely related to Clydesdales. "You were telling me about the girl that came in. Caucasian female, seventeen years old…"

"Right." Nadine squirmed in her chair once more as she sat on her feet again. "Well, she came in to the ER and they pumped her full of vitamins and antibiotics because they thought she had an infection. But it didn't go away, so they had to send it upstairs and Robin took the case because she deals with drug therapy and autoimmune issues, so it made sense."

He adjusted the range and let the rice cook. "Naturally, naturally."

"After working on the case for forever – and after all her treatments did squat – Robin had no choice but to call for an exploratory surgery because there was obviously something inside her – something that didn't show up on the CT or the MRI – that was causing these problems. So she asks me to scrub in with her and we get her on the table, right?"

As he dumped blueberries and cut up mangos into a large mixing bowl, Johnny noticed that at the table Claudia was also listening along with considerable interest. She hid it well, though, so it was all good.

"And we're in the bowels when one of the nurses remarked that Cindy – that was the girl's name, Cindy – that Cindy's B12 had been low, like, since she'd been admitted, and Robin was all, that's impossible, the ER kicked it up and we've been monitoring all her meds and her supplements, so there's no reason that her B12 should be low."

She leaned forward on the counter, an excited glimmer in her eyes. "Guess what it was."

Johnny grinned and shook his head. "I couldn't possibly."

"It was a worm!" Nadine tapped her nails on the counter and bit her lip to keep from grinning. "Can you believe it? Robin figured it out – how brilliant was that? She had a worm in her small intestine, and it had grown to about eight feet in length, and it was eating up all her B12. We yanked it out, stitched up the intestine, and that was it."

Claudia pulled a face. "How the hell does someone get infested by worms in this day and age? What the hell kind of idiot-"

"Her family goes fishing a lot," Nadine explained, "and basically, if you don't cook trout right, you ingest the worm larvae that are sometimes found in that kind of fish. Worms grow, they eat all your vitamin B12, you get admitted to the ER with severe abdominal cramping, dizziness, muscle aches, that sort of thing."

Claudia eyed the two of them and tapped her finger to her chin. "All of that because of a little fish, huh?"

"All of that because of a little fish," the nurse affirmed.

She leaned back in her chair at the kitchenette, cocking a brow at her brother, who was frowning just slightly. "Say, uh, what are you making for dinner, John?"

He glared at her, not amused. "…Grilled swordfish."

Claudia grinned and got up from the table with her magazine, her work clearly done. "Bon appetit, kids. I'm going to Kelly's."

* * *

Lulu Spencer was happy.

She grinned, she smiled, she beamed, she laughed, she fairly exuded good humor. And for this, Johnny Zacchara was very, very grateful. Because his life generally seemed to go a lot more smoothly when his girlfriend was happy, and he happened to like it when his life went smoothly.

Currently, they were just finishing up a very pleasant dinner. Lulu was sipping the last of her soda and he was in the process of pulling out a few bills for the order. Once it was settled, the two of them rose, waved goodbye to Spinelli who was eating at the counter, and began to pull on their coats. It was at precisely that moment that the bells on the front door jingled, announcing the presence of one Nurse Nadine.

She shivered and rubbed her gloved hands together, thankful that Mike kept the thermostat at a roaring 72 degrees, and spotted them almost instantly. "Hey, you guys. Lulu, Johnny." Her smile broadened just for him, he was sure, because he didn't altogether think she was too fond of Lulu anymore (not that he blamed her). "It's good to see you guys."

"Good to see you, too," he replied, taking Lulu's elbow in his hand and ushering her toward the door before she could dispense with the glares or snide remarks. "Have a good night."

And with that, the two of them hurried out the door and into the night, leaving Nadine standing by the jukebox, puzzled by the encounter.

"Noble Nurse Nadine!" Her friend was waving her over to the counter, and she couldn't help but smile as she made her way over to him. Spinelli was just getting started on his cheeseburger and double order of fries and patted the stool next to him. "Join me for dinner?"

"Certainly," she beamed, catching Mike's gaze from the kitchen. "Hey, Mike? Can I get a bowl of your chili and an order of cheese fries, please? Ooh, and some hot sauce. And biscuits!"

"Coming right up, honey."

She stripped off her coat and laid it on top of her messenger bag on the next stool over. "How goes it, Spinelli? It feels like I haven't been able to hang out with you in forever."

"Agreed," he replied, licking a gob of ketchup from his thumb. "I'm really glad to see you, actually. I've missed our talks. The Blonde One was monopolizing all my free time this past week, otherwise I would have called you up a long time ago to do something."

"Which Blonde One?"

"Both," Spinelli answered after considering it for a moment. "But the one I initially meant was Lulu. She had some issues that she was dealing with and insisted that I deal with them _with_ her, apparently, but she's much happier now, thanks to you."

Her hand stilled in the process of reaching for the biscuit that Mike slid in front of her. "Because of me?"

"Because you're keeping your distance," he shrugged, moving his soda aside so that there was room for her order. "The Blonde One can be insecure sometimes, I know, but really, she doesn't mean any harm by it. And it was good of you to be such a good sport about it."

"Here you are, hon, just the way you like it," Mike smiled, placing the chili and the fries in front of her. "Dig in, you're thin enough as it is. They working you too hard over at the hospital or what?"

Nadine smiled and absently reached for her spoon. "Oh, you know how it is, Mike. Some days are better than others, but it's all worth it."

"I bet it is," he replied warmly. "You two let me know if there's anything else you need, all right?"

"Will do," Spinelli replied cheerfully. Nadine glanced at him, wanting to ask what he had meant by his comments earlier, but he was already on to other things. "I have a new case on the books as Jackal P.I. Well, actually, the Intrepid Blonde One found it by talking to one of the Fashionista's associates that she was on the phone with, but she passed it right on to me and now we have another paying gig. Want to hear about it?"

She took a bite of her chili and nodded, sensing the moment lost. "Sure, yeah, go on."

"Apparently, over at Nina La Rente Designs, there's a spy that leaks all of the Foreign Fashionista's designs to other low-budget designers immediately before the launches," he started. "The Intrepid Blonde One and Jackal P.I. have been hired to root out this treacherous evil-doer…"


	25. 24

**The Right Girl 24**

"What's the outlook on Nikolas?"

Neither Patrick nor Ian, who were in Patrick's office looking at the latest MRI results, looked up as Nadine let herself into the room. It was highly unusual for a nurse to do that, but neither physician minded. Nadine had been assigned to Nikolas's case since the first day and she got along very well with him, so it only made sense that she was concerned and wanted to know.

"Not good," Patrick murmured as Ian squinted at the high-resolution images. "Take a look."

She moved closer to the lighted screen, folding her arms across her middle. "That's the tumor."

It wasn't meant as a question, but Ian nodded anyway. "Yeah, that's the bugger right there."

"It's not where it was before, in the last MRI images."

Ian shook his head at her remark. "Nope. It's no longer pressing down as much on his pituitary."

"But that's good," Nadine pointed out. "It explains why he's no longer having as many rage attacks or black outs. That's good, right?"

"To a point," Patrick replied. "It's no longer pressing down on the pituitary, which is going a long way in suppressing the worst of his attacks, though not eliminating them, but his pituitary-adrenocortical system is still in overdrive. Meaning the rage is there, but it's presenting in different ways."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the effects are being had on the other parts of his brain neighboring the tumor." Ian tapped on the picture, his expression grim. "It's getting larger. It's increased by three millimeters. And it's starting to affect the other parts of his brain. I can't decide if that's a lesion right there or…"

Patrick squinted at the spot he was pointing to. "No, that's a blur from the MRI."

"Should we do a biopsy to be sure? Would he even consent?"

"He would," Nadine murmured. "He wants to beat this thing. He wants to at least try for Spencer's sake."

Ian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even though he's already convinced that he's dying."

"Do you blame him?" she snapped. "Do you know what it's like to be faced for months on end with nothing but your own mortality? Knowing every time you see someone's face that it could be the last? If he doesn't at least accept that possibility, the grief and denial would kill him faster than the tumor would."

Ian opened his mouth to reply to that but Patrick put a hand on his shoulder, quieting him. He knew how much Nadine cared about Nikolas, and he sensed that she thought it her responsibility to care for him and think of his best interests just based solely on their inexplicable bond and the way he trusted her, the way she could almost always eventually reach out to him during one of his rage attacks.

"At this point, the incline just increased in this uphill battle," Patrick sighed. "Because if we don't find out what this tumor is and how to shrink it, the next thing to go could be his respiratory system, his circulation capabilities…cognition, motor abilities, even consciousness."

* * *

_That same day…_

He rounded the corner on his way to his father's suite, but his footsteps were slower than usual. Heavier, too.

Johnny nodded politely at one of the nurses that passed him by – the dark haired one that his father had shot, although in retrospect, a nod hardly seemed polite enough considering the circumstances – and forced himself to trudge down the hall as a slow realization dawned on him.

He didn't want to see his father.

In fact, seeing his father was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted to do.

He didn't want to see Anthony's face, he didn't want to hear Anthony's voice, he didn't want to touch Anthony's cold, lifeless hands. Not today, maybe not ever again.

Johnny sighed and leaned against the wall right outside his father's door, safely out of sight, and tried to figure out what he was to do. He came to visit his father all this time as a sign of loyalty to family, not all that different from Nadine's reason to work at this hospital day in and day out with a cheery smile.

But if he were honest with himself, he'd admit that that was where the similarities ended. Their situations were entirely different. Nadine dearly loved her sister, the one that went crazy, but Johnny couldn't remember a time when he truly loved his father without that pristine emotion being tainted by fear, resentment, or pure hatred. He only remembered loving his mother and his sister, both of whom were taken from him by his father.

He lifted a hand to the door and stared at the wood, then drew it back and pulled away. Not today. Not today, of all days. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

His steps were swift and long as he walked away from the luxury suite, firm in his resolve. It felt good to actually come to a decision based on the right reasons – maybe not the right reasons for anyone else, but for him regardless – and take action based on that. He didn't want to see his father. Big deal. The world hadn't fallen apart. And he'd like to see the first idiot to try to tell him he was wrong or manipulate him into changing his mind.

He approached the hub, more than ready to get into the elevators and leave (although perhaps after he'd had the luck of running into Nadine) when he spotted the start of a commotion at the nurses' station. Nurse Webber was standing at the hub and Samantha McCall was right in front of her, but instead of getting into it with each other, both women were staring slack-jawed at Nikolas Cassidine. Johnny had already heard enough of his case to realize that the Prince was having one of his blackouts.

"-Ungrateful, selfish little twit absolutely incapable of accepting responsibility for _anything_ you've done!" Nikolas raged. "So the next time you want to come around and get into Elizabeth's face at the place where she goddamn _works_ – something you might want to try one of these days –"

"Nikolas," Nurse Webber tried, hesitantly coming out from behind the counter. "Nikolas, honey, please, it's okay. It's okay. You don't need to worry yourself about this, I can handle it, I promise."

"You shouldn't have to," he spat, glaring daggers at his cousin. Johnny stopped where he was, sensing that this wasn't the best time to slip on by into the waiting elevators, and saw Nadine emerge from the hallway. Their eyes met and locked for a split second before the nurse assessed the situation, her worried blue eyes landing squarely on the furious Prince.

"My worthless cousin is out of line," he seethed. "Sam, the next time you want to come get in Elizabeth's face because she 'took your precious Jason from you' or whatever the hell kind of delusions you make up for yourself, I want you to think long and hard about what you were doing the night you claim it all went to hell thanks to Elizabeth."

"Nikolas…" It was Nadine's turn to move forward. Johnny watched dumbly as she set her binders on the counter and moved smoothly toward the Prince, never once flinching away. "You need to calm down, okay? Can you do that? Can you hear me?"

He was still focused on his pale and trembling cousin. "Because I'm sure your thoughts will land you right back on the floor of my aunt's lake house, right under your step-father!"

"Nikolas!" She insinuated herself between Sam and her patient, not liking the way his face was turning purple. He appeared to have trouble breathing, and she remembered what Patrick had said about possible respiratory distress as the tumor grew and moved. "Nikolas, that's enough. You're having an attack – Nikolas, _listen_ to me – you're having an attack. You don't know what you're doing. I need you to stay with me, oka-"

But Nikolas was too far gone and instead of even acknowledging her presence, he pushed roughly past her, nearly toppling her over in the process, and threw his cousin against the hub so hard that Sam yelped loudly in pain.

"You're a disgrace to my family name, you know that?" He fisted her lapels, hauling her up so that he could slam her back again. "I don't know what the hell it is about you, but you've done nothing but cause pain and trouble for the people I care about since you came to town, you lazy whore-"

"Nikolas!" Nadine leapt up from the floor and grabbed his arm as Cassius and Leo moved forward to similarly restrain the Prince. Together, they managed to haul him off Sam with great difficulty. Nadine clung to him fiercely, digging her heels into the ground in an attempt to keep him back, as Cassius and Leo helped Sam stand and move out of the way.

"Sedative," she called, turning her attention back to her patient when she saw Cassius race for the drawer. Hell, at this rate, even a paralytic would do. "Oh, God – Nikolas! Nikolas!"

He groaned and clenched his eyes shut, and Nadine was completely unprepared when he slumped in her arms and then crumpled to the floor, collapsing in her arms. "Oh, God."

"He's seizing," Elizabeth cried, pushing past Sam and kneeling next to Nadine. "We need-"

"No, no." Her fingers were on his pulse as Nadine looked frantically for Cassius. "He's convulsing because he can't breathe. Forget the sedative, we need the epi."

Cassius tossed Elizabeth the needle, and Johnny watched Nadine's fingers make frantic work of Nikolas's buttons. She exposed his chest halfway down the ribs and Elizabeth expertly administered the epinephrine. The Prince gasped deeply, his body stiff and tense in Nadine's arms, and then slowly relaxed.

"He's going to be fine," Nadine murmured. The epinephrine was raising his heart rate, opening up his breathing passages, and getting oxygen to his lungs. Though they managed to hold off the respiratory distress, this was hardly a good sign. All it meant was that the next attack would be worse.

Johnny watched all this from afar. He watched the Prince's breathing slowly return to normal as he lay in Nadine's arms. He watched her struggle to support the weight of him, but never once attempted to push him off of her. She stroked his cheek, she gently combed his damp hair out of his face, she talked to him in what Johnny knew was a soft, soothing voice.

His stomach clenched as he watched them, unable to imagine what the Prince's trials must have been like. Living with a ticking time bomb inside his head…it had to be slowly driving him mad. And he couldn't begin to understand how something like that could affect those that were close to him, those that had to watch him suffer through this without being able to help.

…Those like Nadine. There were tears in her eyes as Cassius and Leo lifted Nikolas from her arms and got him onto a gurney, and she hopped to her feet and walked alongside him as they wheeled the Prince into an exam room, Nurse Webber not too far behind.

He let out a heavy sigh and fought against the feeling of an iron fist closing around his heart. There was no way to escape this tonight. And with nothing left to do, little left to think, and a lot left to think about, Johnny slowly walked over to the elevators and stood completely still as the doors shut before him.

* * *

The prognosis was not good.

She hadn't expected anything miraculous. Wanting Patrick and Ian to leap out of the lab with cries of 'Long Live Prince Cassidine' was entirely out of the question. Nadine just didn't want her worse suspicions to be confirmed, and that was exactly what the most recent tests had confirmed. Nikolas's condition was declining, and they had no way of knowing how much time he had left. All they knew was that it was less than the expectancy they'd already given him.

She rubbed her gloved hands together, warming them as she walked across the bridge over to the outlook. She came here occasionally after she had first discovered it last summer shortly after arriving in town. It was a nice, quiet place for her to stop and think and just get away from it all.

She should have been back at the hospital. She should have been sitting on the couch in Nikolas's hospital suite, waiting patiently for him to wake up. She should have had some charming anecdote or cute joke to tell him when he groggily came to, but she had nothing. She didn't even want to be there; she didn't want to face him so soon after the latest attack.

Nadine cleared past the pillars, listening to the sound of the water lapping up against the stone bridge, and stopped when she saw Johnny standing there. His back was toward her and he stared out across the water, tall, still, and just aching with loneliness. He had heard her, she was sure of it, but he hadn't turned around.

She slowly came up next to him, her arms crossed over her chest, and looked out over the river. "Can anyone join you?"

He moved his head just the barest fraction of an inch, then turned back to gazing at the water. "Only someone missing someone."

"Well…" Nadine sucked in a deep breath and let it out very, very slowly. "I'm missing a girl that's physically alive but gone every other way, and a man that's mentally here, usually, but will soon be physically gone."

She swallowed roughly and looked up at him. "Who are you missing?"

His expression was so lost, so sad that she would have reached out and touched him if it didn't look like he'd shatter at the contact. "My mother."

A long silence stretched out between them until her soft, haltingly gentle voice broke it. She was so quiet at first that it was as if her voice was lost among the sounds of the water beneath them.

"All I know about your mother is from that night on Spoon Island. Your father killed her."

"He did," Johnny affirmed quietly. "And that was just the start of my family being taken away from me. My father killed my mother, and he was never the same again. He sent my sister away and she came back a different person, cold and hard and nothing like the girl I remember. There was a time when she was soft and gentle, you know. Kind of like you, but not ever nearly as happy."

He braced his hands on the stone ledge and leaned out over the small waves. "And now? Now my family's all here, all except my mother. And she's the only one of them that matters to me anymore. Trevor's a part of my family, unfortunately, but he is constantly trying to manipulate and undermine me, make me think I'm useless without him, control me. Claudia's back, and she controls me, too. It seems like it's from a good place most of the time, but I can't be sure because I feel like I don't even know her anymore.

"I've never seen my father more in my life than I do now that he's in the hospital, and today I couldn't even bring myself to visit him. Everyone's here, but they might as well be gone just like my mother."

He turned to her, and she was at once struck by the hollow look in his eyes. "Tonight's the anniversary of her death, you know."

There was absolutely nothing she could offer him then, no words, no smiles, no cute anecdotes to distract and amuse him. There was absolutely nothing to say in the face of his loss and grief. So instead of even bothering to search for something that would cheer him up, Nadine slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him, resting her head on his chest just by his shoulder.

He sighed heavily and brought one arm up to wrap around her, still staring out across the water. He felt heavy and warm against her and smelled like pine needles and aftershave, and Nadine kept her arms tightly about him as if she could absorb some of his pain and heal him just a little.

They stood like that for a long time, just listening to the water, until something inside her made her speak.

"My sister and I were like twins. And Aunt Rayleen might as well have been our real mother." She tucked her hair behind her, feeling him rest his chin on her head. "She took care of the two of us like we were her own when our mother couldn't be bothered to do so, and she spared nothing so that the two of us could go to college. She raised us and sent us out into the world, and if there's any good in us at all, it's because of her."

She could feel the tears creep into her voice and burn at the backs of her eyes, and she hated herself for it. She'd already cried enough for the two most important women in her life. The time to feel sorry for herself had passed; what she had to do now was go on, do good, and fix things.

"And then Jolene went crazy, and sometimes I worry that the same thing will happen to me."

His grip around her waist tightened. "Hey."

When she wouldn't look at him, instead feeling alarmingly rigid against his side, Johnny grasped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. "The same thing _cannot _happen to you. It can't."

She searched his dark eyes for some inkling of what it was that made him so sure of her, so eager to believe the best and so firm in his conviction, but she couldn't understand what she saw reflected there.

"You-" He licked his lips and tried again, slightly disarmed by just how close her face was to his when they stood this way. "You've got this great part of you inside that keeps you so level-headed and centered even when the world threatens to go crazy around you. It's like your own personal anchor that keeps you safe and grounded and won't ever let you go too far off course from who you really are at heart."

Johnny shook his head sadly. "I wish I could be like that, but I'm the one being made crazy and being drawn to something sane and sensible."

Before she could wonder if he was talking about her or not, he let out a sigh and gently released her. "There's a lot of good in you, Nadine, whether you realize it or not, and that's what will keep you on the right path."

"There's good in you, too," she insisted, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "Someday, you'll believe that."

He shrugged in a manner that suggested he very much doubted it. "Even if there is, it's buried under too much stuff for me unearth it by myself. That's what makes me miss my mother all the more."

She smiled sadly and gave him one last hug, resting her head on his shoulder just a little longer than necessary. Johnny sighed into her hair and gave her back a little pat. "You should probably be getting home. It's late. You know, just to be safe."

"You mean because of the shooting on the docks? That was months ago."

"I mean that my associates – the well-informed ones, at least – know the significance of tonight and some, like Sonny Corinthos, just might be stupid enough to take advantage of it." His gaze swept over her, from her blonde hair to the white sneakers she wore all day during her busy shift. "I just don't want you to get caught in the cross-fire again. Not because of me."

Nadine pulled back a step and nodded. "You should be careful, too, then."

His eyes were expressionless as he stared out at the water again. "If I'm meant to die on the same night as my mother, there's nothing I can do to change that."

"I wish you wouldn't talk like that." He damn near broke her heart when he did.

Johnny smiled softly down at her and tipped his head to the side. "You should probably get going."

Nadine ran her hand down his arm to his wrist, flashing him a half-smile, and withdrew. She didn't look back as she walked away because she already knew what she'd see: Johnny Zacchara staring out at the water with dead, empty eyes.

She was halfway back to her car when she couldn't take that haunting image anymore. She couldn't stand it when he got all fatalistic and melancholy on her; maybe she ought to do something to fix that. If she was any sort of friend at all, she'd invite him over to watch a movie or have dinner or something else to take his mind off of his grief tonight.

So she doubled back, walking twice as fast, making up whatever it was she hoped to say as she went. There was no way she was going to take no for an answer; the poor guy obviously needed to be around people tonight, not sulking by himself over the dark waters of the river.

Nadine chuckled to herself, thinking that he was so depressed tonight he might actually be tempted to jump off the ledge _into _those dark waters.

And then she broke into a trot as a result of the very same thought.

She cleared a thick patch of bushes, certain to see him on the other side, but came to a crashing halt when she saw that he wasn't alone. Johnny was still standing by the ledge, it was true, but he had been joined in the meantime by his girlfriend. Lulu had her arms around him, her fingers threading through his dark hair as he kissed her soundly.

Nadine drew back a step, but not before seeing Johnny break the kiss and urgently grip Lulu's waist.

She brushed his hair out of his face and looked expectantly up at him. "What is it?"

Nadine could hear his voice from where she stood, rough and gravely and absolutely raw. "I just…I really need you tonight."

He didn't have to say any more. Lulu pulled out of his embrace and offered him her hand. He took it, letting her tug him down the opposite way, off the bridge and onto the walkway.

Nadine drew back, letting out a slow, deliberate breath once she was sure that she was in no danger of being overheard by the couple. She couldn't explain the unease she felt as she had watched the two of them embrace but for once, she didn't stop to nit-pick her reaction.

This was good. This was very, very good. She was glad she hadn't been able to invite him over tonight. This was fate along with her heart and mind's way of reminding her not to get ahead of herself and jump into something without looking where she might land. Because the fact remained that Johnny Zacchara was still very much involved with someone, and that he in fact was in love. It just wasn't her place to offer him the sort of comfort and strength he needed.

Simply put, it was Lulu's.

And it was good of her not to get ahead of herself, and to be reminded how things really stood.

With a deep breath, she turned on her heel and headed back to her car, relieved at how calm she felt. If she had been feeling anything but, it would have been a terrible thing indeed.

* * *

He woke up in Lulu's private pad above the old Haunted Star casino with her head on his naked chest and her blonde curls splayed out across his arm and shoulder. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic, and there was no mistaking that she was fast asleep. He shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable once more without waking her, and slipped a hand underneath his head to cushion it.

For the first time since they'd gotten together, he lay back and listened to the quiet and wondered just what his mother would have to say about Lulu. The two of them were as different as night and day. Maria was quiet, elegant, refined, docile, and believed it her personal duty to show kindness to all of God's creatures. Lulu was brash, ballsy, spunky, and fiercely independent. What _would_ his mother think of her?

Oh, God, he hoped it wasn't anything close to what Claudia thought of her already.

But as far as what he thought…Lulu was a great girl. She understood so much about what made him the tortured, damaged person that he unfortunately was. She had even admitted once that it was what initially drew her to him: the reckless behavior, the brooding, the angst, the darkness, the sullen air, the lone wolf tendencies…

…But never once had she told him that he was a good man the way Nadine had. And the nurse had said it so honestly, too, like she believed every ounce of it, and he had to admit that her opinion of him scared him to the core.

Lulu, on the other hand, just let him know that she understood what made him brooding and what made him passionate and what made him crazy because her childhood wasn't all that great and she was much the same way. She knew what it was like to have her mother taken from her suddenly and abruptly, for no good reason, and to have an absent father that wreaked psychological havoc on her mind, even though Luke Spencer had done so not nearly as intentionally as Anthony Zacchara.

Nadine, though…Her childhood wasn't all that great, either, nor was her life at this point. Her father had died when she was young with no family to speak of, and her mother had abandoned her and Jolene to Aunt Rayleen when they were babies. She struggled with those insecurities and then unfortunately had to struggle when money became very tight, as she told him, and now she was stuck in a small town trying to make amends for her sister and fit in among a group of people that were still intensely suspicious of her anyway.

But somehow, she still managed to give him a reason to hope that he could be better. For her, for himself, for those he cared about.

His girlfriend shifted on top of him, dragging her hand down his chest to his bare hip and resting it there, and Johnny held his breath until her breathing returned to normal.

Nadine gave him a quirky, cone-pone saying and a genuine smile. She gave him something light and happy, something safe and calm to turn to if he felt he needed to. Lulu gave him something to worship, something to praise and extol, but he had to wonder if she was really giving him all of herself.

Or the other way around.


	26. 25

**Note – **I love this chapter. And thank you to everyone that's left me comments and sent me emails and PMs about how much they're enjoying this story. I really am, too. I can't believe it's about half over already.

**The Right Girl 25**

A week had passed and Nadine hadn't seen Johnny anywhere. In the back of her mind she considered it sort of a relief. His absence did her well and helped remind her of how things should be, and to not make things any more complicated than they had to be.

Now that she had time away from him, time to tamp down on anything 'complicated' that might threaten to arise, she had the time to miss him. There were no phone calls, no random run-ins at the hospital, no nights in front of the television, and no packages. She was coming off a shift with nothing to wait for her at home but a big bowl of her favorite cereal and her comfy couch. And maybe a ripped copy of _Mr. Bean_ or something if she felt like it.

Elizabeth Webber had just started her shift when Nadine approached the hub. It was about the same time that the elevator doors opened and allowed Claudia Zacchara to enter the floor. Elizabeth looked up when she walked by the hub and glanced at Nadine. Claudia, too, turned to look at her.

Nadine opened her mouth, alarmingly close to asking about Johnny, then snapped it shut and stared blankly back. Claudia smirked and sauntered down the hall toward her father's suite.

Elizabeth's eyes were on her, and Nadine could tell she was concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead managed a tight smile. Nikolas had asked her the same exact thing earlier this morning, and she'd even felt tempted to snap at him though he was the last person to possibly mean any harm by it. "I'm fine, really."

Elizabeth didn't appear convinced but she let it go either out of consideration for Nadine's feelings or the fact that Epiphany Johnson entered the hub just then and Elizabeth had to at least look like she was busy.

"Nurse Crowell, hand me the files for Mrs. Jeffries and Mr. Collins."

Nadine fumbled through the patient folders and finally managed to produce the requested ones as Epiphany frowned at her. "Uh, here we go. Oh, no, wait, that's not it. That's Mrs. Colins, not Mr. Collins. And…here. There you go."

Epiphany accepted the files but her stern look didn't soften. "Are you just finishing up a shift?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you should think twice about taking on the double-shift I saw you scheduled for," she replied, tucking the binders under her arm. "Go home, get some rest, and come back when you're better able to focus."

She would have argued and insisted that she was well enough to stay, but there was hardly any point in it. "I think I will. See you both tomorrow."

"Night, honey," Elizabeth called as Nadine hopped out of the hub. The friendly endearment surprised her, but her fellow nurse seemed to mean it in her concern. "Have a good night."

* * *

Leo had just finished showering and was standing in front of the mirror in nothing but his towel when she walked into the locker room. He noticed her as he spread gel through his curly hair and grinned lasciviously.

"Too bad I've already showered, otherwise I would have asked you to join me."

She grinned at that, more than used to his harmless innuendo and flirtation, and sat down on the bench to untie her shoes. "I'd scrub your back and you'd scrub my front, right? Isn't that how the line goes?"

Leo laughed and picked up his comb. "Something like that. So how are the ankle-biters these days?"

"Good. Leyla and I got to put on another puppet show today. Dr. Quartermaine even came and watched us with all the kids – she said we did a good job, so that was cute."

"That's good." He uncapped his deodorant and quickly applied it before tossing it back into his bag. "Say, I've been meaning to ask you…you been all right?"

God, if one more person asked her that, she was going to scream. "Yeah, why?"

"You've just seemed a little off-center lately, that's all. A little tired."

"I _am_ tired," she insisted. "Just tired and tense. That's why I'm just going to go home and get some rest. Like everyone's been ordering me to," she added under her breath.

"Take a shower first," her friend suggested. "Seriously. You've got the time – take a hot, long shower and then change and get out of here. You'll feel much better for it."

He gave her one last smile and picked up his bag and scrubs to go change. "I'll see you later. I've got an arteriogram scheduled in twenty minutes."

"Night, Leo." She listened to him shuffle off and a few minutes later he was sprinting off to the OR. Her shoes were untied and sat on the floor in front of her, and Nadine couldn't help but eye the showers. The ones in the locker room really did get good pressure, and the hot water would probably help loosen her up. And there was certainly nothing wrong with taking a few minutes for herself now and then.

* * *

She felt much better by the time she climbed the stairs up to her apartment, her mail and her coat and her messenger bag in hand. Another quiet night at home with her cereal and her television and her thoughts.

She really ought to get a dog or something. Or maybe her Super would loan her one of his many cats.

She stepped onto the landing and jogged the rest of the way up, and that was when she saw it: a single envelope sticking out from under her door. It wasn't the normal box, but she had to hope that it was still something from him.

Nadine knelt on the floor, switching all of her possessions to the other hand, and pulled the envelope out. It bore only her name on the front, as always, and she tucked it in with the rest of her mail as she let herself into her apartment.

She dumped her coat and bag on one of her armchairs without switching on the lights and dropped the mail on her end table. Her affairs thus sorted, she left the lights off, decided to skip dinner, and poured herself a nice glass of wine instead. And with the moonlight streaming in through her large, bare windows, she settled down on her couch and reached for the plain envelope.

She inspected it for a few seconds, studying the way he wrote her name so neatly and evenly, then finally turned it over and pried it open. Inside she found a piece of paper – the note, obviously – folded around something else. When she shook it loose, she saw that it was a picture with a woman's neat cursive on the back: _John, Maria, Claudia, Dominica._

Nadine turned the gray photograph over in her hands and found a very young Johnny staring solemnly back at her. His hair was as dark as ever and neatly parted, not arranged in his normal wind-tousled spikes. He wore dark shorts, a dress shirt with an ascot, and a little monogrammed jacket. He sat very close to a thin, gangly girl with two braids and big, thick glasses, their knees touching, and behind them stood two dark-haired women in elegantly understated dresses and matching dark eyes.

She stared at the picture for so long it was as if she expected the faces to come to life and talk to her. Finally, she reached for the note and gingerly unfolded it, not even brave enough to hazard a guess as to what he could possibly have to say to her this time.

_This is one of very few pictures I have of the three most important women in my life: my mother Maria, my sister Claudia, and her mother Dominica. You seemed so certain that night on the bridge that there was good inside of me. If there is, it's because of these three women. But I'm also starting to think, and forgive me if this is too forward, that it's a little because of you, too._

_JZ_

She sat there, stunned, for longer than she realized. And it was only when she broke from her silent reverie that Nadine found her hand reaching, as if of its own volition, for the gilded box she always kept on her side table, always in sight.

She pulled it into her lap and coaxed it open, finding one of her own family photographs resting inside. She lifted it with trembling fingers and gazed down at the three smiling faces there. And then, for the first time in a long time since she'd let herself, Nadine Crowell dissolved into tears.

* * *

"What's going on?" Johnny walked into his sister's office, his eyes narrowed suspiciously when he found Claudia and Trevor standing by her desk. "Is this a meeting that I've been conveniently left out of?"

Claudia gritted her teeth as Trevor turned smoothly toward him. "Not at all, John. I wasn't telling your sister anything she doesn't already know."

"For the sake of argument, what exactly was it that you were telling her?"

His gray eyes darted back and forth between the siblings. "I was just telling her that her old friend Sonny Corinthos is still gunning for the waterfront properties and that things are going to get very dangerous soon if we don't act."

"_I _will act," Claudia informed, jabbing a finger at his chest. "Whatever needs to be done, John and _I_ will take care of it. We don't need you sticking your nose in everything, Trevors. Now, get out."

"But I only thought-"

"If you only thought, you'd be a lot less annoying," she sniped, now pointing toward the door. "Get out before I throw you out."

The attorney grumbled under his breath, probably nothing too complimentary, and left the room. Claudia watched him go and rolled her eyes, sharing an exasperated look with her brother. "I should have had him shot months ago."

"Why haven't you?" Johnny asked dryly.

His sister made a face. "Listen to you, all death and gloom over here. But if you have to know, I haven't been able to shoot him yet because I'm still learning where he keeps everything. But don't worry." She tossed him a wink and moved behind her desk. "I'm a very quick learner."

"And are you hoping I'm not?"

She stopped, her back toward him. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you hoping that I'm not going to be able to learn this business well enough to take it over so that you'll have no choice but to remain in charge?"

When Claudia turned to face him, her bottomless eyes were sober and just a little sad. "Not at all, John. This business is yours. It's been yours since the moment you were born. I just want to make sure that it's free from Trevors's clutches so that you can run all of it the way you see fit."

She sat down on her leather chair and tented her fingers. "I don't know what it is, but you've been so damn mopey lately. So sullen and quiet. Are you – is there anything you want to talk about?"

He shook his head and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Not a thing."

"John…" She gripped the armrests of her chair and bit her lip. "The anniversary of your mom's death was just more than a week ago. I know it hit you hard, especially this year. If there's anything-"

"There's nothing," he repeated tightly.

Claudia snapped her mouth shut and, after staring at him in silence for a few seconds, reached for her right-hand drawer. "Well. In that case, I think I have something that might cheer you up."

She held out a letter with his name on it and waited for him to take it. "It came for you this morning. Trevors was prowling around, so I took it before he could see it and get curious."

Johnny took the letter from her without replying and turned it over in his hands, immediately recognizing her feminine scrawl. This was her reply to the picture he sent her, to the little note where he'd practically pored his heart out. Whatever this was, it had to be big.

Claudia watched him study the letter and without his noticing, came up behind him. "Can – Can I see it, too, John?"

He jumped a little at the sound of her voice and held the unopened letter to his chest, looking at her in surprise. Claudia swallowed and drew back a step, not wanting him to see how his reaction hurt her, and tried to give him some space.

"Never mind," she started, trying to smile. "It's okay, you don't have to share."

He cleared his throat gruffly, not having wanted to hurt her. "I, uh…"

Claudia looked up at him expectantly, hopeful that he might actually have something to say. "Yeah?"

"Nadine told me once that there was something good inside me, but I didn't really believe her. The only proof I had…" He tapped the envelope against his palm. "The only hope that there actually was something good inside me was a picture that I gave her."

She planted a hand on her hip and looked up at him. "What picture was it?"

"It was a picture of us and our mothers," Johnny replied softly.

Claudia's eyes softened, and she linked her fingers together at her waist and tipped her chin toward the unopened letter. "What did Nadine send you?"

He sucked in a deep breath and gently tore the envelope open, pulling out a photograph. Claudia leaned over his shoulder, her chin resting against his arm. Whereas she only recognized one blonde in the picture, Johnny knew the other two to be Jolene and the famous and pithy Aunt Rayleen.

He unfolded the note that came with it and began to read. _"My Aunt Rayleen used to say that we're all created from God's goodness and when we form bonds with other people, we absorb their goodness and they ours, so that in the end we're all joined forever to those we're meant to be around and be with and we become seamless extensions of God's hopes for us."_

Claudia couldn't help but smile. "Aunt Rayleen's a little verbose today."

Johnny's eyes glittered as he read on. "_Being in medicine and seeing the things I see every day makes it hard for me to give my faith and trust over to a Supreme Being so willingly and easily; I'm told it comes with the territory. But sometimes, I can hear Aunt Rayleen's voice in my head saying all that, and it's just a little easier to believe."_

"_NC," _Claudia finished. She looked up at her brother, who was still staring at the pictures in wonder, and rose on her toes to kiss his forehead before slowly walking out of the room.


	27. 26

**The Right Girl 26**

"Hey, Spinelli, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Nurse Epiphany," he replied, tapping his nails on the counter as he watched her organize patient charts. "She told me to meet her at the hub in five minutes."

"What do you need with Epiphany, anyway?"

"She has a package for me."

"If I know what you mean," Nadine replied, winking exaggeratedly. Spinelli sniggered but quickly quieted when he saw Elizabeth glance at the two of them curiously. "So what's new with you?"

"Nothing much. Oh! The Intrepid Blonde One and I solved the case of the Purloined Fashion Designs."

"Good for you," Nadine beamed. "How'd you do it?"

"Well, we hit a lot of dead ends, but it was pretty simple once we located a dead mouse, a length of rope, two cases of orange soda, and a paperclip. Now, most people would say, how could you solve a mystery of this proportion with everyday items like that? The secret is astonishing, Noble Nurse Nadine, and the Jackal will walk you through it. First, you take the mouse and the paperclip and you-"

"Excuse me." They both turned around and found Johnny and Lulu standing a few feet from the hub. Lulu had a splotchy red handkerchief wrapped around her hand and Johnny's arm around her waist. "Uh, we need some help over here."

Nadine gaped at her friend and then at his girlfriend. "You – You cut your hand. Gosh, that looks pretty bad. You just might need stitches. If you follow me into an exam room, I can take a look at that and-"

"Actually…" Lulu spared her a snide look even as she wound the handkerchief tighter around the cut. "I called ahead. Elizabeth's expecting me."

"Oh, uh…" Nadine glanced down the hall, glimpsing Elizabeth's floppy bun and her dark blue scrubs. "Oh, okay, she's right over there, exam room three."

"Thanks." Johnny offered her a tight smile and, with his arm still around Lulu's waist, quickly steered her away.

At the counter, Spinelli rested his chin on his hand and watched the two depart. "You know, Nurse Nadine, if you don't mind the Jackal saying…"

She let out a little sigh and smirked at him. "What is it, Spinelli?"

He shrugged. "Maybe you should just stick to your guns on this one and do what you've been doing so far this whole time and stay away from the Septic Son and the Blonde One since it actually seemed to be working. Oh! Excuse me, I think I see the Stalwart Nurse Epiphany."

Nadine gaped at him as he ran off down the hall, trying to track down her boss, and finally snapped her mouth shut. Spinelli, as usual and in his typical roundabout way, had given her a lot to think about.

* * *

"Hey, hey, come on in."

Nadine lit up when Johnny poked his head out from behind the door. "Oh, good, you're here. I was afraid I wrote down the wrong address. The reception was all spotty and I accidentally deleted the message instead of replaying it, and I thought…whoa."

He grinned and ushered her into the apartment. "I know, right? What do you think?"

"It's…" She looked all around her, amazed at what he had done with the place. When he called her up that morning and told her that a while ago he'd bought one of the apartments overlooking the docks in one of the most dilapidated buildings in town (Elizabeth, who once lived here, had been the one to call it that) and that it was finally fixed up to his specifications, she had been a little doubtful.

But the room she was standing in was nothing short of beautiful. He had installed a massive gray door that matched the other doors and blended into the building's décor except for the barely noticeable fact that it was made of heavy steel, probably to protect against intruders and bullets. The beautiful new hardware floors that he had put in were polished and shone in the weak evening sunlight, and he had old-style lanterns installed with flame-shaped bulbs that lined the walls.

"It's amazing," she replied honestly, finally turning around to face him. "It's the ultimate bachelor pad."

He followed her gaze to the gleaming bar, complete with counter and three stools, and the grand piano by the windows. "I know. It's my own private little place. It's high time I got one in town, don't you think? I'd rather be shot in the nads than rent a room at the MetroCourt, and Claudie would blow a gasket if she found out I was staying at Jake's. She worries about security."

"What inspired you to go out and do this?" she asked, only setting her bag and coat down when he urged her to do so. She hadn't intended on staying very long – after all, her shift started in about an hour – but she didn't want to be rude and refuse him, especially when he had invited her over with such excitement. "All this time, you never said anything about wanting your own place."

He straddled a chair and looked up expectantly at her. "Don't you think I should have one?"

"Of course." She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and walked across the room toward the windows. "I think you of all people really need one. Some place to call your own where you're not worried about random people barging in and telling you what to do. But what made you actually go through with it all?"

"Something you said, actually." He got up from his seat and followed her across the room. She stood by the piano now and trailed her fingers over the keys, and he remembered her telling him that Aunt Rayleen made her take piano lessons until money got too tight. "You remember what you wrote when you sent me the journal?"

"Uh…" She tried to remember what that particular gift had represented. "Yeah. Something about being able to get your feelings out when you really needed to."

"Something about being able to get my thoughts out and escape when I needed to," he corrected, hiking up his pants at the knee and sitting down on the piano bench. "And that was what I did. This place…"

He looked around the apartment, for once fully satisfied with his decisions and the outcome. "This place is my escape. This piano…"

Nadine watched as he placed his long, tapered fingers on the keys. "…Is where I think."

She had to smile at that. "You did good, then. I hope this place is just what you need."

"It will be," Johnny replied firmly, his fingers moving slowly over the keys without pressing down. "It'll be the place where I can come to if I'm in town late at night and don't feel like driving back home, it'll be the place where I can relax and just be without worrying about Trevor or my sister or the family business or…anything. It's the place that no one knows about except me."

There was a key conjunction and a key pronoun missing from that statement – _and you_ – and Nadine's lips parted in surprised. "Uh…so no one knows?"

He shook his head almost proudly. "Nope."

"Not your sister?"

"Nah."

"Reivers?"

"Nuh-uh."

She bit her lip and settled her hands hesitantly on the edge of the piano. "Not Lulu?"

His dark eyes lifted and met hers without flinching, but he looked away too quickly to read what was reflected there. "No."

Nadine let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Oh. O-Okay."

Oh, god, this was not good.

What game was he playing? What was he up to? What kind of boy – who happened to be involved with someone pretty seriously – invited a female friend over to his private pad and waxed on and on about how it was just his, then dropped the bomb on her by telling her that even his girlfriend didn't know? What was he doing?

More importantly…what was _she_ doing?

She was standing in the unofficial 'bachelor pad' of a very taken man, admiring his-

"Sit."

Nadine blinked and stared at him. "What?"

"Sit," he repeated, gesturing to the spot on the bench next to him. "I'll play you something."

"What?"

"Geez, find a pirate to sit on," he teased, grabbing her wrist and hauling her over. "You've been bugging me since Day One to play you something. Now you don't want to hear it?"

"Oh. Oh, no, it's not that," she hedged. "I just…never mind."

Johnny gave her a strange look and let his fingers hover over the ivory keys, apparently deciding what it was that he would play. It didn't take him long to decide and he soon launched into it. Sonorous notes, deep and rich and lingering, filled the small apartment, and Nadine judged from the sound that he had also had the room soundproofed and thus amplified the sound. It bounced off the beautiful floor and the freshly painted walls until it seemed to radiate in her heart.

She wasn't watching him play. She was staring at a point just past the piano, not particularly seeing anything, wondering what all this meant. Nikolas's comments came back to her, and she wondered what he would have to say to this. A man that sent a woman champagne and a note that made her laugh and blush wasn't content to be a friend; what of a man that played a woman that wasn't his girlfriend a beautiful song of his own composition? What did that mean?

His song was winding down, and Johnny shot her a look. His fingers slowed over the keys until they were barely moving, barely pressing down, and then they weren't moving at all.

Nadine seemed to snap out of it a couple seconds after the song stopped and blinked. "That was really pretty."

The corner of his mouth curved up. "You were barely listening."

"I was, too," she protested. "I can hum the melody, see?" She hummed a few bars, moving her head back and forth as she did so, and then tipped her chin at him. "See? I was listening."

He allowed her evidence with a smile and nodded, though he couldn't help but be a little disappointed that she had been preoccupied. "You, uh, wanna play something?"

"Oh." She stared at the keys, then up at him. "Can I?"

"Sure," he half-laughed. "Go ahead. It's not a piece of glass or anything – play."

She licked her lips and pushed up the sleeves of her mauve turtleneck. "Okay. But keep in mind, I haven't played in a long time. I played on the piano in the lounge at General Hospital once or twice, but that's nothing. So…yeah."

"What are you worried about, that I'll laugh at you?" He grinned and held up his right hand, the picture of innocence and integrity. "I swear, I won't laugh."

Nadine smiled and haltingly settled her fingers on the keys, deliberating over what she'd play, what she was in the mood for…what she was feeling. "Okay. O-Okay."

He watched her hands, the long and lean and strong fingers of a nurse, move over the keys and he heard it when she pressed down and gave in to the melody in her head. Her head was bowed in concentration, almost as if she was praying, but her eyes remained closed. She wasn't looking at the keys at all; in fact, she was trying her best _not_ to look at them by almost squeezing them shut. She was playing like he did, from the heart, but there was a difference: she was also praying by memory, not needing the sight of her fingers on the keys to tell if she was doing it right or not.

He had expected, perhaps somewhat foolishly, for her song to be something quick and lively, something fresh and lilting and happy. Something jolly and quirky and catchy that one couldn't help but hum under one's breath day in and day out. Realizing that he expected that made him just a little sad that he was once again buying into the image of the happy, quirky, unflappable Nurse Nadine that she presented to everyone else.

Her song when she played it was low and deep, slow and empty, the loneliest thing he ever heard. She played it like a hymn, head still reverently bowed, her fingers moving gracefully over the keys in a pattern he was willing to bet was emblazoned in her heart. When the notes picked up, growing closer and closer together, the resulting sound was almost angry, more despairing.

Johnny watched her carefully as she let it go, hoping to find some sort of insight into whatever it was that made her play this way, but there was nothing to be gleaned from the vision. She looked…like Nadine. She looked like she always did, dressed in her favorite low-riding jeans and a full-sleeved turtleneck, a messy ponytail holding her deep golden hair back as her bangs fell into her face. The only change in her expression was the way she held her eyes so carefully shut; her mouth remained the way it almost always was, relaxed and full and only slightly pouting.

And he wasn't above admitting that it bothered him that he couldn't read her any better.

Her fingers slowed in their movements, drawing out the last woeful notes of the song and she finally withdrew her hands, folding them in her lap. He could see the tint of pink in her cheeks when she finally braved a glance at her.

"What?"

Johnny shook his head, not liking being caught off guard by her like that. "Nothing. It's just…that was…did you write that?"

She shook her head. "No. I just remember it from somewhere. From when I was younger. Why? You didn't like it? I know I skipped a note a couple times in the middle, and-"

"It's not that," he murmured, giving his head a little shake. "It's just…that was surprisingly lonely for you."

Nadine let out a sigh and slowly rose from her seat, leaving him with a perplexed look on his face. "Thanks for letting me play. And congratulations on your new place. I really should get going now."

And so Johnny sat there and watched her quietly let herself out of his apartment, wondering what it was that he had done wrong.


	28. 27

**The Right Girl 27**

_That night at the hospital…_

It was two in the morning and instead of being tired, Nadine had just gotten her second wind. That was more than she could say for Elizabeth Webber, however. The young mother looked like she was about to fall asleep on her feet as she finished up the paperwork Epiphany had assigned her.

Nadine smiled and walked up to her, coffee cup in hand. "Hey, you. Thought you could use this."

Elizabeth glanced at the caffeine offering and smiled wearily. "Thank you so much – you're the sweetest."

"I brought you some sugar packets so you could add it yourself," she added, pulling the packets from her pocket and dropping them on the countertop along with a stirrer. "Not everyone likes five things of sweetener in their coffee like I do."

Elizabeth laughed and tore open two packets together. "I think I'm beginning to see how you're so energized all the time."

"I just do a good job fooling everyone," Nadine smiled back, hopping up into the hub. "Did Ian leave any files for me? I might as well get started on those."

Her fellow nurse picked up a short stack of patient charts and handed them over. "Here you go. I think you're going to need Epiphany's signature on some of those. Put them in this pile along with mine and I'll make sure she signs them first thing in the morning."

"Got it." She uncapped the orange pen that she always kept on a lanyard around her neck and began leafing through the papers. "Ooh, not that much tonight. Sweet."

"Lucky you," Elizabeth murmured, turning toward the monitor to enter in some additional data. "You did the rest earlier, huh?"

"Yeah, I try to stay on top of the paperwork because it's the most freaking boring part of the job."

"I should have that work ethic," the nurse yawned. "Then I wouldn't be ready to collapse on top of a ream of it."

Nadine chuckled and had already gone through five patient charts, signing each one accordingly, when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She fished it out and flipped it open, finding that she had a text message.

'JZ' appeared neatly on the screen of her phone and Nadine quickly glanced over her shoulder just to make sure Elizabeth wasn't close enough to spot it. She clicked the application and the message popped up.

Are you working?

She bit her lip and, setting down her pen, sent him back a quick reply.

_Yes._

Another one arrived for her almost instantly.

Can you take a break?

Well, she was certainly due for one, at any rate.

_Now? Yes._

She waited a few seconds and sure enough, another one came up.

_Meet me on the hospital roof. Now? Yes._

Nadine rolled her eyes at his teasing and slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Hey…Elizabeth?"

She took a sip of her coffee and barely glanced up from her work. "Yeah?"

"I'm gonna take my break now – I'll be right back. I'm gonna see if I can find Leyla on the seventh floor."

"See you," the nurse murmured. "I'll be right here…unfortunately."

Nadine quickly slipped out of the hub and trotted toward the stairwell, the easiest way to the roof. She had no idea what Johnny was doing in town at two in the morning, much less what he was doing on the hospital roof at two in the morning, but there was only one way to find out.

He was waiting for her when she threw open the door and stepped out on the roof, and she sight in front of her made Nadine want to shriek. So she did.

"What are you doing?! Are you crazy or something? Get down before you fall off!"

She was, of course, talking to Johnny who was balancing on the edge of the roof on one leg. He straightened when he heard her voice and grinned. "Hey, I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Get down from there," she hissed, stalking forward with half a mind to tackle him down herself. "You're going to fall!"

"Haven't fallen yet," he shrugged amiably, hopping down off the ledge. "You came up in just your scrubs? You'll freeze."

"I'll freeze to death, you'll fall to your death, is that the plan?"

"You're so morbid when you're scared," Johnny teased, stripping his coat off and holding it out to her. "Here, put this on. You need it more than I do."

She eyed him suspiciously but decided that what he said was true. He was, after all, wearing a fleece pullover on top of a thick shirt while she had only a turtleneck and a thin scrub top to keep her warm. She really should have gone to the locker room first to get her coat but had completely forgotten in her excitement.

"What are you doing here, anyway? And why did you want me to meet you?"

"So that you could help me eat that," he replied, pointing to a bright red thermos and a box of chocolate chip cookies that sat on the ledge. "Can't eat 'em by myself. And I could have sent them to you, but the cookies looked good and I wanted some. So this was decidedly the best course of action."

She had to laugh at his reasoning. "Good call, then."

"I thought so," he smirked proudly. "Want some cocoa?"

Nadine stuck her arms through his enormous coat and pulled her hair out from under the collar, nodding eagerly. "Oh, _yes_. Is that from Kelly's?"

"Sonnybucks," he corrected. "The cookies are from Kelly's. Can't give Sonny _all _my money."

She laughed and accepted the cup he handed her, taking a small sip. The cocoa was sweet and warmed its way down from her throat all the way to her stomach. "Aren't you going to have some?"

"I just wanted the cookies," he confided with a smile. "Come on, take a break with me. Enjoy the view."

"Well, it sure is pretty from up – hey! What are you doing?!"

He was climbing up on the ledge again and shot her an annoyed look as he sat down, swinging his legs off the side of the building. "What? Geez, why do you always freak out? I'm not doing anything."

"You're not holding on to anything," she half-shrieked, rushing to his side. "That's what I'm freaking out about! What is it with you and dangling off of buildings, anyway?"

"I just like the view from up here," he shrugged. "What's the matter, scared?"

"Yes!" she burst out. "I would think that would have been perfectly clear by now."

He settled down comfortably on the ledge and offered her his hand with an impious grin. "Join me."

"What?!"

"Join me," he repeated, wiggling his fingers. "Come on, chicken, get up here."

"No way, no way, no way!" Nadine shook her head frantically, refusing to be drawn into this madness by his twinkling eyes and mischievous grin. It would take a lot more to bend her will. "No!"

"Oh, come on," he laughed, leaning toward her with his hand still outstretched. "I'll make sure you don't fall. Just once. Just do this once and I'll never make you do it again. Come on, get up here. Live a little, Crowell."

"Famous – and ironic – last words." Gingerly, she put her hand in his and let him pull her forward. This was absolute madness and she had no reason why she was doing it. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm actually listening to you…"

He kept a firm grip on her hand as she scooted forward and onto the ledge, locking her knees at the edge and frantically hoping there was some sort of foothold down there. There wasn't. All that met the soles of her sneakers was air and a phenomenal view of Main Street, Port Charles.

"See? Isn't this nice?"

"I'm going to be sick."

He rolled his eyes and switched her hand to his left one, slipping his right arm around her body. "You're such a girl."

"What are you doing? Stop moving or we're both going to fall."

But Johnny was already scooting over closer to her, his arm now firmly around her waist over the bulky coat. "No, we're not. No one's going to fall. More cocoa?"

"You're insane," she grumbled, forcing herself to let go of her death grip on the stone ledge long enough to pick up her cup. She tried her best not to look down as he refilled it, and kept her eyes firmly on the sky as she sipped it.

Johnny was watching her and she could feel the laughter rumble through his body. "_Such_ a girl. You oughta do this more often, Nurse Crowell. Think of the stories you'd have to tell your brats in Pedes."

"They're not brats," she responded automatically. "And they're certainly more mature than you're being."

He grinned and stuffed an entire cookie into his mouth. "You're just scared. Cookie?"

"I hate you so much. And yes."

Johnny grabbed one for her and a couple for himself, careful to keep his arm around her. Nadine was easy to spook at this height and he could feel the tension in her body, though she had managed to relax some since she climbed up here. And he certainly didn't mind the manner in which he was called on to put her at ease.

"These are pretty good."

"I'm sure they are," she murmured, taking a bite of hers. "You've had four already."

Johnny shrugged. "I've never had that much of a sweet tooth. I don't really like cakes or pies or pastries, but I've always liked chocolate chip cookies. Always. Claudia used to bake them for me all the time when we all still lived together. I'd inhale more than half of them in one sitting and our moms would yell at me for spoiling my dinner, but Claudie would just make me more the next time. I love fortune cookies, too – we both really did – but those are harder to make at home. We got a kick out of the fortunes inside, though. Still have a ton of them saved somewhere."

She smiled at that memory, thinking back to the solemn-faced little cherub in the old photograph sitting in her gilded box along with her old family photos and a few trinkets. It was hard to imagine that serious little boy laughing and smiling and stuffing his face with chocolate chip cookies made by the awkward, gangly thing in too-thick glasses.

Johnny stretched his legs out over the city, just gazing out at the skyline, and Nadine took another sip of her cocoa, reminding herself even as she voiced her question not to read too much into the situation. "So what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Our board meeting ran a little late."

She waited for more, but that appeared to be it. "Your board meeting ran until two o'clock in the morning?"

"No…" He swung his legs, smirking when she hesitantly attempted to do the same thing before squeezing her eyes shut. "Our meeting finished around eleven. Nikolas Cassidine brought down his proposal for the new foundation he plans to start in his late fiancé's name. We talked briefly about it at the end and then adjourned. I sat around and finished reading the proposal – it was, shall we say, comprehensive – and I'm very impressed. Although I feel that I shouldn't be, that it's nothing out of the ordinary for him."

"Nikolas is a brilliant businessman," Nadine affirmed. "He really knows what he's doing. This foundation is going to do a lot of good in this town."

"I thought the same thing," Johnny replied. "I knew that I was going to vote for it since he started talking about it, but I wanted to read through the whole thing anyway so that I at least sounded well-informed if I had to state my case. That's what took me so long. Then I went to Kelly's and picked up some cookies, then I swung by Sonnybucks and got the cocoa, then I met you here. I thought a midnight snack was in order."

He cleared his throat gruffly, watching a slow smile tug at her lips as Nadine stared at the city and offered him her profile. "And also, I…I sensed something was bothering you earlier. You know, at my place."

She lowered the cup and crossed her legs at the ankle, considering her next words. "…I was just a little tired."

Her favorite excuse, and people always bought it without question because they thought she was a workaholic what with all those double-shifts she pulled all the time.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," she continued lamely. "And sometimes…I just feel really worn down. Tired from the inside out, if that makes sense. Like I'm trapped under all the stuff that's going on in my life right now. But things will calm down soon. I know it."

His grip on her waist tightened and Johnny gave her a little squeeze, grinning when she yelped and clung to him. "Well, think of it this way. You can always come up to the roof when you want to fly away from it all."

* * *

"Hi, Reivers."

"Miss Crowell, delighted to see you," he said, sweeping her into the house. "May I take your coat?"

"Oh, no, I don't plan on staying that long," she admitted, adjusting her hold on her purse and a large Tupperware container. "Johnny around?"

"Regrettably, no, Miss. Master John is not home at the moment. He had his horse hitched up not half an hour ago, and I hope he remains on the grounds but the truth is that he could very well be galloping out and about somewhere. Would you like to wait for him?"

"I don't think I can. I just wanted to drop these off."

"Certainly, Miss." Reivers peered down at the opaque container in her hands. "Er…what is it, if you don't mind?"

"Cookies. Want one?"

"No, thank you, Miss. A little too rich for me, I'm sure."

"Watching your figure, huh?"

He gently took hold of her elbow and steered her out of the foyer. "I've got to be in shape for the 'babes,' Miss."

Nadine let out a laugh and let him lead her along. "You'll have to beat them off with a stick, Reivers. You're quite a catch, you know."

"So I've been told, Miss, on many an occasion."

"Is it all right with you if I just leave these in the kitchen? Cook won't mind, will she?"

"Actually, Miss…" The butler attempted to conceal a smirk and succeeded. This would be quite fun indeed. "Miss Zacchara has a rule about certain guests to Crimson Manor and I believe she'll want to see you personally. You understand, I hope."

"Of course," Nadine replied cheerily even though she didn't have a clue.

"Allow me to show you to her offices." He led her down the hall and knocked politely on the double doors. "Miss Zacchara, Miss Crowell is here to visit the family."

"Miss Who?"

"Nurse Vacuum Girl."

"Oh, right." She could hear a file being slapped down on the table with no small measure of frustration. "Her. Yeah, fine. What's she want?"

"To see Master John, Miss. I told her he was out riding."

Nadine stepped into view and smiled tightly at Claudia. "Yup, that's what I heard. Galloping on his Clydesdale."

Claudia grimaced. "Oh, God, I hope not. Thanks for that visual, you little twit."

The last part was muttered under her breath, but Nadine caught it anyway. "Uh, I just came by real quick to drop these off for him. I can give them to you, or I can leave them in the kitchen. Either way…er, whatever's most convenient for everyone…"

Claudia eyed the box. "What is it?"

"Chocolate chip cookies. Homemade, with my special ingredient, too."

"Sunshine and rainbows?"

"Cinnamon and nutmeg."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You can just put them here. If you leave them in the kitchen, Reivers over there will eat them all."

The butler remained suspiciously silent as Nadine moved forward to set the container on Claudia's desk. "There you go."

The older woman was watching her with thinly veiled amusement. "You know, it's been a long time since a cute little girl brought baked goods to the Zacchara House. What's your angle, sister?"

"No angle," she replied honestly. Johnny had mentioned that he loved chocolate chip cookies and it was really the least she could do after he surprised her at the hospital with cookies and cocoa because he thought she was having a rough day. "Just cookies."

"No note?"

Nadine knew she was being made fun of, but she also knew better than to tease back in kind. Claudia would probably ram a stiletto up her nose if she toed the line. "No note's necessary. This one's pretty straight-forward. Johnny'll get it."

Her dark eyes glittered with mirth. "So it's an inside joke?"

Nadine let out a little huff of exasperation at the mocking and adjusted her purse on her shoulder. "I should get going."

"You'll do something for me before you do."

Not used to being given a directive like that, Nadine could only blink as Claudia scrounged around in the mess of books, magazines, and files in front of her. "Uh…okay."

"Take these two swatches and go stand by the curtains," she ordered, pointing toward the windows on the other side of the fireplace. "Go, go. And hold them up, for Christ's sake. How the hell am I supposed to see them?"

She held them up side by side in front of her stomach. "That good?"

"Higher."

She raised them to her neck. "Good?"

"Little higher."

Nadine lifted the pieces so that they were both side by side in front of her face.

"Perfect," Claudia called out. "Stop right there."

Of course. Nadine let out a little sigh of impatience, feeling absolutely ridiculous holding two squares of fabric in front of her face. But such abuse was all in a day's work for Claudia Zacchara, so she could hardly say anything.

"I like the powdered gray, I really do," she murmured, "but it'll just darken up the room. And it's too similar to Trevors's stupid brown curtains. The burgundy and gold would be much better. It's rich and dark but just masculine enough not to be girly. Vacuum Girl."

Nadine poked her head out from behind the swatches. "What?"

"What do you think? Which one?"

"Definitely the crimson and gold."

"Burgundy."

"Right, that's what I meant. The burgundy and gold. It's a really pretty combination."

"Okay, that's enough." Claudia waved for her to walk on over. "Give me my swatches. Reivers, I want you to take these and set them aside for my decorator. Good. Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh…" Nadine stopped halfway to the door. "Home?"

"I need your opinion on something else. Reivers, you can leave us."

Nadine shot Reivers a pleading look as he backed out into the hall, but he only shrugged as he pulled the doors shut. "Um…what did you need my opinion about?"

Claudia propped her chin on her hand and gazed at Nadine as if the two of them were lying stomach-down on her bed in their pajamas with their hair in pigtails and cold cream slathered all over their faces, talking about which boy they hoped would ask them to the prom. And Nadine knew that she was doing it to unnerve her, too.

"I want your opinion on the banshee that my brother's dating."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Oh. Oh, well it's…it's really none of my business. My opinion doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter to me at all," Claudia replied honestly, "but it matters to John. Even though I doubt that you've shared it with him in this particular instance. But don't worry, he's not here to hear you rip into the little twit. So go ahead, be honest. It's just us girls."

"Well…" Her eyes darted nervously around the room. "My Aunt Rayleen used to say that all food is fit to eat but not all words are fit to speak, so-"

"I care even less about what Aunt Rayleen has to say than I care about what you have to say," Claudia informed her pertly, and Nadine didn't doubt it for a second. "But I asked you a question and when I ask a question, I expect to get an answer."

There was a hard edge to her voice that made Nadine gulp. "It's just that I try not to speak ill of people. And I don't even know Lulu that well. I'm sure that there are things – I'm sure there are so many wonderful things about her, things that only someone in Johnny's position would know and see. It's not my place to pass judgment on her."

"I think she's a half-witted bint in a skirt with a face like a bulldog, the intelligence of a boiled potato, and the sexual sophistication of a donkey." Claudia shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "See? What was so hard about that? Your turn."

"But I…"

"I said…" Those dark, dark eyes, so similar to her brother's, glittered dangerously. "Your turn."

Nadine let out a slow, deliberate breath, seeing no way out, and gave the oldest Zacchara child her most honest, straight-forward answer. "No matter what I think, your brother's committed to Lulu. He loves her and he plans on being with her for a long time to come."

Claudia arched a brow. "And?"

"And…" She looked away almost guiltily, somewhat sadly, and shrugged. "I hope he never figures out that he could have done better."

A moment of silence stretched between them until Claudia nodded once. "You can go."

Nadine turned on her heel and hurried out of the room, and Claudia watched her go, rolling her words around in her head. A small smile made the corner of her mouth twitch as she reached out, took one of the cookies from the container, and popped it into her mouth.


	29. 28

**Note – **Now that M's reading this, I'm all self-conscious. :-P I blame Pilar, but that should come as no surprise by now.

**The Right Girl 28**

Today was the day that John was due back from his little 'romantic getaway' to Canada with ShrewLu, and Claudia couldn't wait to see him. The first thing she was going to do was dump him in a vat of Lysol and scrub and scour him until every last trace of the little yapper was burned clean off of him. That, of course, would have to wait until after they ate when she had a spare minute. Currently, she was in the kitchen harassing Cook as the old woman tried to finish preparing Master John's favorite foods for his welcome home dinner.

"Claudie!"

She squeaked in the process of popping an olive into her mouth and trotted around the counter atop four-inch high red sling-backs. "John?"

"Miss Claudia, honestly!"

"Reivers," she called, ignoring Cook as she blew right through the swinging doors into the hall. "John! Reivers, John's home!"

Her little brother was standing in the middle of the foyer with his bags, which Reivers was attempting to relieve him of, and both men nearly toppled over as she crashed into them.

"You're home!"

"Oof," he protested, only barely managing to maintain his balance while keeping Reivers upright. He was more worried about their butler than himself; after all, if the man fell, he was in danger of breaking his hip or something. Reivers was frail enough as it was. "Why are you so happy?"

Claudia biffed him upside the back of the head. "What, I'm not allowed to be happy that you made it home without getting sniped somewhere along the way?"

"Charming sentiment, Miss Zacchara," Reivers purred, smoothly managing to divest his youngest charge of his bags. "I'll have these taken to your room post haste, Master John. I'll also have the maid draw a bath for you if you wish to freshen up."

"Thanks, Reivers, I would." He waited until the butler drew away before directing a smirky look at his sister. "So you missed me, I take it?"

"After a week spent in Trevor's company?" she snorted and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm ready to have you Lo-jacked and shackled to my side."

It was a neat evasion, one that her little brother didn't even raise a brow at and for that Claudia was grateful. One week spent with little to do but watch Trevors like a hawk had opened her eyes to something that she wasn't quite ready to share with her brother yet – not until she had more proof or until she handled the situation herself. She hadn't decided yet.

"You send Boo-Hoo home?"

He arched a brow at her but didn't take up her bait. "Yeah, I dropped her off at the Haunted Star."

He waited a beat and when she remained silent he couldn't help but tease her. "So you're not going to ask me how my week was?"

"Nope, instead I'm going to ask the maid to put a de-louser in your bath," Claudia snipped back.

"What? Oh, come on, that doesn't even make sense. Lulu doesn't have lice."

"Ticks, then," she shrugged. "Isn't that what horses get? And those nasty, sticky burrs on their coat. Those are a bitch to get off."

He glared at her, not at all amused. "For what it's worth, we had a great time."

"Don't care," she smiled sweetly. "And I don't believe it's possible for anyone to have a good time with that shrew within a twenty foot radius."

"Are you done?"

"Getting warmed up for the second act." Claudia grinned and rose on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Now, go wash up and change and meet us down here for dinner. Cook made your favorite, and I made up something for Trevors to do in town so he wouldn't be around. I also invited a couple of the guys over – Hayden and Corwin, and Eddie might make it, too. Everything'll be ready in about an hour."

Johnny nodded as she let go of his arm and drew back. "Okay. I'll be down. Anything interesting happen while I was gone? Work-wise?"

"Not a thing." She turned slightly on her heel, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I'd tell you if it did. No, it was pretty boring around here. Now hurry up and get ready. I'll be in my office for a bit if you need me."

Without waiting for a response, she headed out of the foyer and down the hallway to her private offices to put away the last assignment she'd been working on before John wandered in accidentally and saw it. She let herself into the room, sure to shut the door loudly so he heard it, and then trotted all the way to the other side of the office to the little side door that opened into the foyer. If she knew her brother…

She cracked it open just a bit and sure enough, he had pulled out his phone the second he heard her enter the office.

"Nadine? Yeah, hey. Yeah, I'm back. Thanks. No, no, not at all. Actually, I just called because I'm back home – yeah, I said that already, didn't I? I mean, I'm back home in Crimson Pointe and I was just wondering, you know, if you're not doing anything tonight…well, it'd be great to see you. Yeah. Yeah? Sure, sure. You wanna come over for dinner? Trevor's not home so it's just me and Claudie and a couple of the guards. I hear your Care Bear Corwin might make an appearance."

Even at a distance, Claudia could see his shoulders shake with laughter at something the nurse said.

"All right. Be here in about an hour? Great. See you then. Bye."

He flicked the phone shut and stared at it for a minute before nodding, almost absently, to himself. Claudia watched him slip it back into his pocket as he turned and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and withdrew into her offices once more, shutting the door behind her.

Her brother was such a freaking dumbass.

* * *

"So you still haven't forgiven me for the sticker, huh?"

Across the table, the bodyguard known as Corwin pretended to glare at Nadine while Claudia tried not to laugh. "John Boy, tell the Nutty Nurse to pass the damn cream."

"Quit calling me John Boy, asshole. And you don't need the cream – it'll clog up your old-man arteries."

Claudia reached for the porcelain cream dish and handed it to the guard, who executed a neat kick aimed squarely at Johnny's shin under the table. "Better watch it, Corwin, or I'll make that sticker a part of your uniform."

He paled. "You wouldn't."

"Remember the time you got drunk at the Christmas party and kissed her under the mistletoe?" Johnny grinned as Nadine choked on her water. "And how she made you ride the elevator at the warehouse up and down all day during your next shift with a piece of tape on your lips that said, From now on I'll keep my mouth to myself? Trust me, she'll do it."

"Think of it this way," Claudia suggested, swirling her wine thoughtfully and drawing the guard's irate glare. "At least Vacuum Girl only gave you a stupid little sticker. It wasn't like she sent your nuts up to your kidneys like poor Simon."

Hayden, Corwin and John all bowed their heads. "Horrible."

"I apologized for that!" Nadine burst out, letting her spoon drop to her plate with a clatter. "I did! I even sent him a note and some brownies from Kelly's! Besides, how would I have known that he was my guard instead of one of the random killers that stalks this town every 2.5 years?"

"You'd have known if you weren't a paranoid little snip," Claudia pointed out in what she genuinely thought was a helpful manner.

Nadine rolled her eyes and pushed her plate forward just an inch. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for that, really."

"It was pretty vicious, from what I heard," Hayden piped up, ignoring Nadine's pained look. "She came out of nowhere and clobbered him, then ran into a closet."

Johnny let out a loud laugh at that. "I remember when I went to check on her, she threatened to bash my head in with a pipe and possibly give me lead poisoning."

"I had no idea who you were," she pointed out. "For all I knew, you wanted to carve out my spleen with a rusty butter knife or something. Excuse me for not liking strange men following me around."

"Give it time," Claudia murmured, drawing an exasperated look from her little brother. "Okay, so, everyone done? Let's head into the parlor."

She rose from her seat at the head of the table first and was followed by the two guards. Nadine smiled at the maid that began clearing the table and got up at the same time as Johnny. "So, I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier, but did you have a good time on your trip?"

"Yeah, great," he replied quickly, ushering her into the lavishly decorated parlor. "Weather was nice. How was your week? Anything interesting happen?"

"I got to scrub in on a really cool surgery." She started to turn left, having lost the others and not being particularly sure how to get to the parlor, and Johnny slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her right. "The patient had a third ostium. Can you believe that?"

"I barely know what an ostium is," he admitted. "Something to do with the heart?"

"Yeah. And here's the cool part – you're only supposed to have two. So we got rid of the third one and she should make a full recovery."

He pushed open the parlor door and ushered her in. "Amazing."

Claudia looked up from the wet bar as they entered the room. "What kept you two? John, you want a drink?"

"Port sounds good," he answered, moving around the couch and taking a seat next to Nadine. Hayden and Corwin lounged on the ornately carved armchairs, enjoying their after-dinner beverages. "One for Nadine, too."

"I keep forgetting that you're over the drinking age," his sister muttered, extending a glass to her guest. "You look all of twelve years old."

"Still get carded at bars sometimes," Nadine smiled. "Thanks. I love this room, by the way. I've never even been in here before. Did you redecorate it or something?"

Claudia stopped in the process of pouring her brother's drink and arched a brow at her. "How'd you figure that out?"

"Well, it just looks so different from the rest of the house, that's all," she tried to explain, gesturing around her. "The walls are a lighter color, and so is the furniture. And you've got fresh flowers in these colorful vases and pretty paintings."

"They're just prints," she shrugged, gesturing to the various works by Titian and Boticelli. "Just something to hang up there until the real works I ordered get here. John hates them."

Nadine immediately turned on her friend. "What? You hate them? Why? They're so pretty."

"I hate prints," Johnny stated. "I hate that they're artless reproductions of some of the greatest works of history, hung up on walls with thumbtacks or – or imposed on a t-shirt or glossed onto a ceramic coffee mug. It's insulting. I'd much rather get rid of all the prints in the world and go to an art gallery and see them as they were intended to be seen."

"Yes, that's fine for a rich boy like you," Nadine replied, poking him in the thigh and making the guards smirk. "Hop on your jet after dinner and take in all the El Greco you want. But for us poor commoners, a lot of the time those prints are the only way we even know what those paintings look like."

"I realize it's unfair to be opposed to the practicality of it," he relented, "but that doesn't mean I want a 9.99 print hanging around in my house. And there's a drawback to that sort of mass production, too, you know."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"They always like this?" Hayden asked Claudia.

She sat down primly in her favorite armchair – the one Johnny thought looked like a throne, for obvious reasons – and shot him a bland look. "Annoying? Yeah."

"These two-bit prints come to stand in for the real painting," he was saying. "The crude sketch of Vitruvian man on the back of a paperback novel becomes the _real_ Vitruvian man. In a sense, it becomes more important than the real Vitruvian man because it's so accessible."

"Not seeing the bad part here."

"The thing about paintings is that they're real," he argued. "They're made on canvas with layers and layers of paint and different strokes. They're a certain size, they have a certain dimension and a certain look. They deteriorate in quality as they age – it's unavoidable. Light, air, pollutants, the oils on human fingertips all cause the paint and the canvas to age, so the painting changes over time even if it's kept in the most carefully controlled environment."

"Who wants to play cards?" Corwin asked, turning to his friend and employer. "We allowed to smoke in here, Claudia?"

"Why not?" she replied, clearly bored listening to her brother and his guest. "My cigarette case is in the drawer over there with my lighter. Get it for me."

"These prints never change in quality."

"That was kind of my point."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "No, see, they never change in quality, so in that sense they're infinitely superior compared to the originals. But the prints have absolutely none of the artistic soul that the originals do, and yet the originals are the ones that are fading into obscurity. Who needs to go to the Louevre anymore at all to see the Mona Lisa? I've got a picture of it on my damn mouse pad! In fact, the Mona Lisa's looking pretty ratty lately – let's just scrap it all together."

Nadine eyed him strangely. "You take art very seriously, don't you?"

"I just think that this mindless translation of the greatest masterpieces known to man is not without its drawback." He patted her knee and rose from the couch. "Come on, I want to show you a book I have that gets into some of this. You still want to see my library, right?"

She hopped up off the couch and followed him. "Yeah, I've heard that it's amazing, like, two whole stories of amazing."

"Right through here," Johnny said, pulling open a door that led to his sister's office. "We'll take the shortcut."

"Your house is like a maze," they heard her say as she followed him out. "You ever leave bread crumbs to keep from getting lost?"

"I used to leave pebbles when I was a kid, but Reivers would vacuum them right up."

Claudia smirked as Hayden offered her a light and took a draw from her cigarette, blowing curls of smoke into the air. "Huh. 'I want to show you a book' is what the kids must be calling it these days."

* * *

"Miss Zacchara?"

Claudia looked up from her hand and dusted ashes from her cigarette into the ashtray Hayden was hogging. "What is it, Reivers?"

"Miss Lulu Spencer is here to see Master John," he replied. "I have her waiting in the guest parlor whenever you're ready to see her."

"Thank you, Reivers. Wait outside in the hall just in case she tries to make a break for it and goes poking around."

"Of course, Miss."

Claudia took another draw from her cigarette and cocked a brow at Corwin. "Just call, idiot. I'm growing a beard here."

* * *

_Three hands later…_

"Reivers!"

The butler poked his head back into the room. "Yes, Miss Zacchara?"

She rose from her seat and put her cigarette out in the ashtray. "Play the next hand for me while I deal with the little snipe. And for God's sake, try not to purse your lips when you get a crummy hand."

"I will do my best."

She pinched the fabric of his sleeve between her fingers as they passed next to each other and leaned in. "And Hayden's nostrils always flare when he gets a really good hand. If you see that, fold before you lose me money."

"Assuredly, Miss."

The game plan set, she sauntered out into the hall and entered the smaller parlor they used to receive guests. Lulu was sitting on the couch, glancing at her watch and looking extremely bored and put out. Naturally, this pleased Claudia.

"What do you want?"

She rose to her feet, knowing better by now than to attempt to engage her boyfriend's surly sister in pleasantries. "I brought this with me," she started, holding up the little black zipped bag in her hands, "because Johnny and I got ours mixed up. He has my makeup and I have his shaving kit. I just wanted to switch back."

Claudia eyed the bag, which was indeed filled with her brother's blade and shaving foam, and a small, truly wicked smile made the corner of her mouth curl. "John's in the library right now. Why don't I take you up there?"


	30. 29

**Note – **Ah, the bitch!fest. And I just adore this chapter, if only for the Claudia/John conversation.

**The Right Girl 29**

"Oh, my gosh, look at you." Nadine bit her lip and grinned down at the photograph of Johnny and his mother standing in front of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. The book that had prompted their sojourn to the library, _Illuminations_ by Walter Benjamin, sat almost forgotten on the little table next to the high-back green armchair she sat in due to the fact that the conversation had veered toward Italian architecture as a form of Italian art, and Johnny had pulled out an old picture album and was now perched on the arm of her chair, looking slightly annoyed that she chose to coo over his five-year-old self instead of studying the amazing buildings in the background.

"We're blocking the doorway, which is a shame because it's the most powerful part of the façade, but it's still a good shot." He frowned, noticing how her eyes still twinkled as she gazed at him and his mother. "Are you even paying attention?"

"Your fat monkey head is blocking the door – yeah, I heard that part. You're so cute – and look at those little shorts!"

"They're britches," he felt compelled to explain. "They're not little shorts. Give me that – you can't be trusted with family albums."

"Okay, okay!" She yanked the book back from him and set it on her lap once more. "Fine, tell me about the buildings."

"The Church of San Lorenzo was my mother's favorite stop on our trip," he started. "It was the first church designed by Brunelleschi, and it was commissioned by the Medici family. You've heard of them, haven't you?"

"The Trumps, Oprahs, Gates, and Warren Buffets of Renaissance Italy all rolled up together," Nadine murmured. "Go on."

"If you go inside, you'll see a bunch of work from some of the best Italian artists, too. Bronzino, Donatello, Lippi. The building itself might date back as early as the fourth century."

"Old."

He smirked and stretched an arm across the back of the chair for better balance, leaning in just close enough to catch a whiff of her shampoo. "Quite."

"Oh, John?" The library doors opened and they both looked up to see his sister's dark silhouette, and it was as if everything happened in slow motion. Another person was behind her, and Johnny knew from Claudia's sinister little smirk who before she even moved into view. Nadine, however, remained confused until Lulu stepped into the light, first surprise, horror, suspicion, and then anger flickering across her tight features.

"Ah." Claudia planted her hands on her hips and smiled, a triumphant gleam passing through her dark eyes. "I thought I'd find you here."

Johnny yanked his arm down from the back of Nadine's chair and stood just in time for Lulu to let out the first of many shrieks.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

Claudia grimaced and stuck a finger in her ear, wiggling it around. "Fucking hell…"

Nadine slowly shut the family album, gripping it almost as if she thought she could use it as a blunt weapon against the screaming harridan if she absolutely had to, and Johnny moved so he was standing partially in front of her.

"Lulu, it's not what-"

"I want to know what the hell she's doing here." Lulu pushed right past Claudia, who folded her arms over her chest and watched the scene unfold with unabashed interest and no small measure of glee, and stomped across the room until she was standing right in front of them. "Did you invite her over? After everything we talked about-"

He cringed, already hating how this was making him look and how obviously uncomfortable and unfair it was to Nadine. "Look, it's no big deal. I invited Nadine to dinner, that's all."

"You went behind my back-"

"You'd just spent the whole week with me," he pointed out, trying to defend his actions. "I thought you were tired and deserved to get some rest, and I thought the last thing you'd want was to spend some time here with my sister, of all people."

"Oh, no, thanks, just an observer here," Claudia called out politely. "I'm not getting in the ring. You can dance and sting all by yourself, John Boy."

Lulu ignored her, shifting her attention to Nadine as the nurse tried to discreetly set the album on the table. "You – what the hell is your problem, bitch? I told you to stay away from Johnny but you're so pathetic and obviously starved for attention that you see nothing wrong in throwing yourself-"

"Lulu, please," Johnny tried.

"-at a man that is way out of your league and already with someone else! You try to pass yourself off as some cute, quirky, wholesome farm girl that's going to save the world one scraped knee at a time and you might have half this town fooled, but you know what? I'm not buying it for a second!"

"Lulu!" Johnny's lips settled into a grim line. "This is not Nadine's fault. You want to be angry with someone? Be angry with me."

"I _am_ angry with you!" she seethed. "You promised me that you were done with her – that she didn't mean anything to you and you didn't want to hang out with her anyway. And now, what? You're inviting her over to dinner and calling her a friend? What the hell's going on between you two?"

"Nothing," Nadine said firmly, though there was no mistaking the way her breath hitched slightly. "There is absolutely nothing going on between-"

"How could you even ask me something like that?" Johnny demanded. "From the day I met you, I never gave you any reason to think that there was anyone else for me but you, even though you've certainly-"

"We're not talking about me here," Lulu spat, "we're talking about you and this – this stupid cow over here who doesn't have enough self-respect to not throw herself at-"

"You don't get to talk to her that way!"

"So now you're defending her?" Lulu stared at him in disbelief. "What's wrong with you? How can you fall for that little act she's got going on? It's obvious that she wants you and doesn't care that you're taken, all because she's _lonely_ and _vulnerable_ and because everyone who knows anything in town knows that she's a crazy bitch like her sister-"

Nadine closed her eyes and looked away, so sick to her stomach that her only possible biological response to this situation would have been to burst into tears or vomit. "I should go."

"Ya think?" Lulu sneered, glaring daggers at her as she moved out from behind Johnny and past the couple. "Heinous wench."

"Nadine, wait," Johnny called out, "please. You don't have to go."

He didn't even notice that now Lulu was glaring daggers at him instead; all he was aware of was that Nadine was not going to stop until she had put as much distance between herself and the second floor of the Crimson Manor library as possible.

Claudia, who had been enjoying the show up until now, bit the inside of her cheek as Nadine walked past her, her steps heavy and her eyes hazy, as if she were in a daze. Her cheeks were red and burning with embarrassment and anger and something that she couldn't place, but she still carried herself with dignity and refused to show her lesser emotions, and Claudia couldn't help but be impressed by that.

Without knowing entirely what she was doing, how to do it, or how it would be received, she reached out and lightly rested her hand on Nadine's shoulder. But the touch was too gentle, too concern, and entirely foreign to Claudia, so she quickly yanked her hand back and did her best to give the girl what might have passed as a stern look.

"Listen, I, uh, I'll have one of my men give you a ride home. Make sure you get back safe."

Nadine met her gaze, cool blue eyes on hard, obsidian ones, and for a split second Claudia had to wonder if she was actually feeling bad for the little nurse. But such a thing was impossible – after all, she didn't even know her that well and she only wasted emotions like guilt and regret on people that she cared about, namely and singularly John – so she pushed it right out of her mind.

The nurse nodded absently at her remark and moved past her, and Claudia turned and watched her slowly descend the stairs where Reivers appeared to be waiting for her below.

* * *

"Are you happy now?"

Corwin had already left with Nadine, Lulu had flounced off in a bitter rage, and it was just the Zacchara siblings at Crimson Manor.

Claudia arched a brow at her little brother and snapped her cigarette case shut. "Oh, no, don't even start. This one's on you, John."

"You took Lulu up to the library," he snarled, pacing agitatedly in front of the fireplace. "You knew Nadine and I were up there – you wanted this to happen."

She shrugged. "So?"

"So?" He could only stare at her in disbelief. "Don't you at least feel a _little_ bad about what happened?"

"You mean, about the way your psycho girlfriend tore into Vacuum Girl?" Claudia pretended to consider it for a minute. "Well, I fell bad that Vacuum Girl didn't punch her stupid horse-teeth out and wear them on a necklace."

Johnny shook his head in disgust and resumed pacing. "It's always a joke with you."

"What makes you think I'm joking?" She shot him a bland look and then, thinking better of it, pulled out another cigarette. She tapped it against her wrist and lit it smoothly, careful not to dust anything off on the carpet. "That banshee was asking for it. But for some reason, Vacuum Girl was too fucking nice about the whole thing to pop her one. God, I just don't understand that little twit…I would have cleaned her damn clock if it was me."

"Nadine's not like that," Johnny murmured.

"Then what is she like, John?"

His obsidian eyes snapped to meet hers, and it was clear that he was in no mood. "Don't even start with me, Claudia. Don't even fucking start."

"Fine." She sat down primly on the arm of a cream-colored sofa and crossed her legs at the ankle, regarding him patiently. "So what are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do?" He stopped for a moment, then picked up the pacing again. "What am I going to do…"

"Instead of repeat the question," she added helpfully.

He glared at her, never stopping, never standing still. "I don't know what I can do. Lulu – Lulu's my girlfriend. I love her. I'm with _her_. And Nadine – Nadine's my friend. I like talking to her, I like hanging out with her. I always learn something new whenever I spend time with her. And I don't think I should have to choose between them."

A flicker of excitement glittered in his sister's eyes, and Claudia leaned forward. "So what are you going to do about this?"

"…Nadine's the real patient, understanding sort, you know," he murmured, clasping the back of his neck. "She'll…she'll probably forgive me and accept my apologies if I talk to her. And Lulu…Lulu will probably come around, too. This whole thing should just blow over in a week or two, and then-"

Claudia groaned and slipped elegantly down from the arm of the couch to the cushions – well, as elegantly as was possible to fall that way. "So you're not going to do anything. Big surprise there."

Johnny shot her a dark glare. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're the poster boy for inaction," she shot back. "You always do this, John. You always work yourself up into these grand dilemmas hinging on moral principles and feelings and codes, and you deliberate and you ponder and you weigh consequences and you go off on your random soliloquies and then you do what you do every time – which is jack shit!"

"As opposed to you?" he fired back. "God, I can't seem to find a spare second where you're _not_ doing something to cause trouble! Even tonight – you knew that I was with Nadine up here and you knew that Lulu wouldn't like it and what did you do? You brought her right up here!"

"Better than you! You'd continue to play both ends against the middle like this for the rest of your damn life if you could!"

"And you don't even feel bad about it!"

Claudia threw her hands up in the air, not noticing when she accidentally dropped ash on her new carpet. "Why the hell should I? I didn't do anything wrong. This isn't some after school special, John."

"You hurt her," he accused. "Did you see the look on her face? You hurt Nadine."

"_You_ hurt Nadine," she hissed. "You were the one, John. Don't try to pin this on me: this was all you, little brother. You hurt her every single time you talked to her, confided in her, smiled at her, made her think that you were actually her friend-"

"I _was_ her friend," Johnny interrupted. "I am her friend."

"Friends don't do that to each other," Claudia replied, her voice tight and low. "You went behind Lulu's back this whole time just because you wanted to keep being friends with Nadine but you weren't man enough to tell the little shrew that. Not that I care one way or another about your little girl problems, but you made Nadine feel cheap and dirty and used. You did this, John."

He was working his jaw furiously, hands planted on his hips as always when he was angry, and a long moment passed before he spoke. "So why did you do what you did? Just for the hell of it? Because you thought it would be funny? Amusing?"

She didn't blame him one bit for automatically thinking that. Hell, it was probably half the truth, anyway. Claudia dusted off her cigarette and rose from the couch, her dark eyes never leaving his.

"I did this because I care about you. And I care about the decisions you make and the people you choose to surround yourself with."

He snorted. "Don't give me that bullshit. I'm not eight years old, Claudia. I'm not going to buy every weak line that comes out of your mouth. All these years you've been feeding me bullshit about how you didn't want to leave me, how you wanted to take me with you, how you thought about me all the time, and ever since you've been back you've been telling me all about how everything you're doing now you're doing for me. I don't believe it. And saying it now? After tonight, after what happened?"

He shook his head, looking thoroughly disgusted, and even Claudia was unprepared for the hurt that lanced her chest at that disappointed look. "I can't believe you think I'd be stupid enough to fall for it again."

She took a deep breath, telling herself to mind her words and remember where his were coming from. She really couldn't blame him for having all that resentment and anger towards her; she certainly deserved it. She'd given him words, so many damn words, since she had been back but they were all hollow because she'd been unable to act on them, unable to prove herself to him.

Mostly because she hadn't realized that things had deteriorated between her and her brother to such a degree that John desperately needed that proof from her.

"I did this for you because I know the kind of person you are," she continued, her voice low and her eyes liquid. She didn't flinch away from his dark stare, she didn't back off when he began to pace in agitation once more. "I know the kind of person you were raised to be – both by your mother and by Daddy.

"I know that you're a good man and that you don't want to hurt people the way you've been hurt." Tears crept into her voice but she pushed them back, disgusted in herself for even allowing them to present that far. "That's what I love about you but, John, at the same time, you have to realize that being like that can hurt you as well.

"You don't make decisions, John." She dropped her cigarette listlessly into the ash tray and when he looked at her, he saw the tired, weary look in her eyes. "You don't act. You talk and you think and you deliberate, but you never act. You let other people around you make your decisions for you. Daddy. Trevor. Lulu. Me. And we use you, John. All of us use you."

Her vision blurred again, but there was nothing she could do about it this time. "Some of us mean to, some of us don't. Some of us do it willingly, without remorse, and some of us tell ourselves that we're doing it for your sake whether we think we are or not."

His lips curled downward at the corner and her heart nearly broke to think that she was probably just confirming what he already thought of her deep inside, anyway.

"You're the head of this family, John. Not me. Not Daddy. Definitely not Trevor. You are. This is your family, this is your house, this is your legacy. And right now…it's not at all what it should be. It's a mess. But before long, hopefully, everything's going to be cleaned up and then it'll be running like it should have been all these years before Trevor got his meat hooks in it."

She was talking shop again, and when Johnny rolled his eyes and turned his back on her, Claudia knew she'd have to talk fast before she lost him completely.

"And it'll be yours," she tried, managing a weak smile. "And you'll be in charge of all of it, and you'll have to make all the decisions and deal with all the consequences. When you succeed, it will be because of you. When you fail, it will be because of you. And that's how it should be. All your life, no matter how hard things were for you, you never needed someone to fall back on. You took care of yourself. You shouldn't need someone to fall back on as far as the business is concerned, either, John."

He turned his head just the barest fraction of an inch, offering her a glimpse of his profile, and Claudia continued on, encouraged.

"You asked me once if I thought you were capable of running this business. I said yes. And I meant it. You're smart, you're perceptive, you're cautious, you're shrewd. You see your advantages, even when they're barely there. You know how to read people. But in terms of stepping in and taking power today and running this business?"

She shook her head. "John, you're nowhere near ready. You've got to break out of this pattern of inaction and indecisiveness. You'll be mowed down before you can even stand on your own if you don't. And tonight…"

He turned around and stared at her, and Claudia considered her next words carefully. "Think of tonight as a baby step. You have a problem. One that's big, one that's important to you, if not to anyone else, and one that won't go away even if you wish real hard."

She averted her gaze and moved slowly toward the door, her dark red heels clicking on the hardwood floors. Pausing under the threshold, she gave her little brother one last look and emphasized the words that had been repeating in his head ever since Lulu showed up in the library.

"What are you going to do?"


	31. 30

**Note – **Fluffy because I have too much stuff to put in the next chapter, and it would be awkward if I broke it up. Also, Spinelli and Maxie wouldn't shut up despite my strict outline, so, yeah.

**The Right Girl 30**

"So you had no idea that the Blonde One thought all this time that you and the Septic Son were avoiding each other?" Spinelli's eyes widened when Nadine shook her head. "What a mess. Nadine, I'm so sorry if I ever said anything about-"

"It's okay," she interrupted quickly, flashing him a genuine smile. "Really, it's okay."

"But I hurt your feelings," he persisted, "and it was truly none of my business, anyway, but-"

"Spinelli." She leveled him with a firm look. "I know you. I know you'd never intentionally try to create problems or hurt feelings or stir the pot. Trust me, it's okay."

He begrudgingly accepted her forgiveness, still feeling a little guilty over all the times he nagged her to stay true to the 'arrangement,' and played with his half-finished bottle of orange soda. Mike was in the process of getting their orders ready and was heard bustling around in the kitchen. Thankfully, Kelly's was relatively empty tonight and Spinelli was just glad for the chance to hang out with his friend at last.

"It must have been awful, though."

"To hear Lulu go off like that?" Nadine rolled her eyes and stabbed at a large chunk of ice with her straw. "Awful doesn't even begin to cover it. She just went off and started screaming about – about me trying to get with Johnny and him going behind her back and me fooling everyone with my farm girl act and – and me being just like my sister and-"

"Whoa, whoa." The bottle he'd been playing with righted itself with a clunky thunk as Spinelli let go and stared at her. "Lulu brought up Jolene? What did she say?"

"Just that – that-" She shook her head, reminding herself to take a little breath. "Just that everyone in this town thought that I was probably crazy like her anyway."

Spinelli scrubbed his hands over his face while shaking his head vehemently. "I – she – you – I can't believe she said that. That's low. And completely untrue."

"Well…"

"Nadine." He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "Look, I know we never really talked about Jolene and what she did at General Hospital, but trust me when I say that no one looks at you and thinks you'd do the same. You're the Noble Nurse Nadine, you're-"

"I understand you're trying to help, Spinelli, but she has a point." She pulled her hand back from his and drew it into her lap. "When I first started, I got those looks. From Robin, from Patrick, Elizabeth, Leyla, Epiphany – those looks that said, _there's that other Crowell girl. I wonder if she'll cause as much trouble as the first._"

"But you didn't," Spinelli tried to explain. "You proved yourself over and over. You helped get the Pediatrics department back in shape – I even heard that you're being considered for a job as one of the senior nurses in that department. You were always there when you were needed, you pull double shifts all the time to help out, you have a great relationship with your patients and your co-workers…if anyone still looks at you and wonders if you're some sort of ticking time bomb like Jolene, then they're all idiots.

"Besides," he added, leaning in just a little. "you've made friends since you came here. I see you with Nurse Mir and Nurse Regina sometimes, and I know you and Dr. Leo are friends. I see you joking around with Cassius."

"That's different," she protested lamely. "Me and Leyla and Regina were in the same class in nursing school, and we started around the same time as Cassius and Leo did. They kind of have to put up with me."

"I have it on good authority that you've made a friend of Nurse Elizabeth." He tapped his fingernails on the counter, not at all fazed by her surprised look. "She thinks you're very sweet and helpful, and she said that sometimes when she's having a bad day she'll just talk to you and listen to one of your stories or some of the things your Aunt Rayleen said and she'll feel a little better and be able to get through her shift, if it's a rough one. And she thinks that Hello Ducky and Hello Stinky are kind of weird, but she loves how you'll do just about anything to keep your patients engaged and entertained and with you."

Nadine's lips parted in surprise, and she couldn't help but feel there was more to the story than Spinelli was letting on. "…I didn't realize you were on such close terms with Elizabeth."

If she wasn't imagining it, she could have sworn he blushed a little. "Oh, no, we're not. We're not. I mean, what do I have in common with her? I, uh, just overheard her talking to Dr. Scorpio once about you. That's all."

He was lying, but she let it go mostly because she didn't know what to make of it. "Oh."

"Look, Lulu was way out of line," he said, veering back to their original conversation. "She can be really…passionate and aggressive when she feels threatened, and I'm just so sorry you got it all dumped on you for no good reason."

"Thanks, Spinelli." She smiled up at Mike when he deposited their orders on the table. "That helps. And I'm trying not to wallow in it, really. You're the first person I told."

"The Jackal is most honored to be your confidante," he grinned, picking up his sandwich and ripping out a hearty bite. "Tho whaff aff oo goh eeg doo doo?"

She laughed and flicked a fry at him. "Chew first, then talk."

He swallowed quickly and turned earnest green eyes back to her. "So what are you going to do? I mean, about this whole Johnny Zacchara business?"

First of all, she hated that he had to call it that. 'Johnny Zacchara business.' It made it sound like she had an active plot to steal the boy right out from under Lulu or something.

"I'm not going to do anything."

He blinked. "Come again?"

"I'm not going to do anything," she repeated. "I'm just going to stay away from him. I should have put all the pieces together sooner, you know. You helped put some of them in place for me every time you said that I should do what I was doing and keep a distance. And somehow, somewhere, I think I always knew what Johnny was doing: that he was telling Lulu that he hadn't seen me in forever and that I wasn't really anybody to him. But he was so…kind and funny and smart and charming and I enjoyed hanging out with him so much that I guess I was willing to ignore all that, or at least push it aside and pretend like everything was fine."

She let out a sigh and poked the pool of ketchup in her plate with a fry. "Because that's what I do. I pretend."

"You don't-"

"I do," she insisted. "I pretend that – that I'm doing just fine here in Port Charles. I pretend that I'm happy all the time. I pretend that I'm not lonely and that I'm not sad and that I'm not just so…angry over the way things have turned out. I pretend that if I don't think about Jolene, if I don't visit her, all the horrible things she did will go away and I'll be left with just the memory of my amazing older sister and all the things we used to do together. I pretend that I'm perfectly willing to be the 'secret friend' or whatever to avoid pissing Lulu off when in reality, you know what? I'm not. This sucks, and I'm not going to pretend any more that it doesn't."

He nodded in understanding, his gaze warm and sympathetic. "Well, I think that's an important step. And I think you'll be all the happier for it. And it must have hurt to hear the Blonde One say that Johnny told her that he didn't even like you and that you weren't anybody to him and all that."

Nadine shrugged and took another sip of her soda. "To be honest, that part didn't really bother me that much – the part about whatever he told her, I mean. I've done things like that before, too. My first boyfriend – I used to tell Aunt Rayleen that he was this dumb jerk from my math class and that our teacher had assigned us as partners on a project once and now he thought it'd be great to study with me all the time. I pretended to be so annoyed that I had to invite him over a couple times a week so we could do our homework in my room, but in reality we were just crazy about each other. We all say things we don't mean to that extent in order to make our lives smoother. That's just human nature, and I don't fault him for whatever he felt he had to tell Lulu."

"So you just fault him for feeling like he had to hide you like that and not talking it over with the Blonde One."

"Pretty much. It sucks, that's all."

"It certainly does," he agreed. "And the Jackal is most willing to do whatever he can to help you forget about this mess."

"Well, hanging out with you again is helping," Nadine admitted with a wry smile. "I forgot how much I like doing that."

"Your feelings are most certainly reciprocated," Spinelli grinned back.

"Can I ask you something, though?"

"Ask away."

"We've been friends for quite a while," she started, folding her arms on the tabletop and momentarily forgetting about the copious amount of food she'd ordered and had yet to make a significant dent in. "I mean, I guess we've been a little more than friends. You asked me to the dance, after all, and we used to hang out all the time before things got really busy at work and your, um, coffee business stuff became a little more demanding."

He crammed four French fries into his mouth at the same time. "Agreed…"

"And lots of things have changed since then. But when we hang out now, it's like it always was. And I guess what I'm asking is…" She bit her lip, barely noticing when the bells on the front door jingled to let in another customer. "Does Maxie ever give you any grief about me? Have you guys ever fought because of me? Because if I have caused trouble between you two, I'm really, really sorry."

Spinelli choked a little on his orange soda. "Nadine, that's – No! You've yet to do anything of the sort. The Intrepid Blonde One doesn't mind our companionship at all."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely," he insisted. "She thinks you're smart and a little weird – okay, a lot weird – but she doesn't have an issue with the fact that the two of us are chums. I think she once told me that it was good I spent so much time with you because that way I 'got my weird out' and could be a little more normal when I was with her."

Nadine laughed out loud at that, having no trouble picturing his girlfriend saying those words. "Glad I could help, then. It's just…I don't know. You and Maxie have been together for a while and obviously things are pretty serious…"

"Why?" Eyes wide, he leaned in and peered at her. "How do you know that? Did the Intrepid Blonde One say anything to you? We're trying to keep things quiet."

"No, no, no one said anything" she replied, noticing how his shoulders slumped a little at the denial. "It's just my assumption based on how you guys are together. But anyway – things are obviously cool with you guys, but apparently Maxie doesn't care one way or another that we spend so much time together. Johnny and Lulu are pretty serious, too, but Lulu's always flipping out about me and him. So I guess what I'm saying is, how can Maxie trust you that much when Lulu doesn't seem to trust Johnny at all?"

"Well…" Spinelli trailed off and appeared to consider his words. "I never really thought about it that way. Yes, it's true, the Blonde One does trust me quite a bit-"

"I trust that he'll never be able to do any better than me," came a cheeky voice from behind, and Nadine looked up as Maxie came up behind Spinelli and rested her hands on her boyfriend's shoulders. "So, what are we talking about?"

Spinelli tilted his head back and got a nice view of her chin. "Blonde One – Nurse Nadine and I were just having dinner. You want in?"

"Can't," she replied, grabbing half of his sandwich and taking a big bite. "I already ate over at Kate's and I'm trying to watch my calories. There's this gorgeous dress that I've got my eye on and if I don't start to control myself now, I'll never be able to fit into it in time for the hospital fundraiser next month."

Spinelli rolled his eyes, sharing an exasperated look with Nadine. "She always says she's dieting – even though she has no reason to – and then she steals my food anyway."

Maxie indignantly set his sandwich down on his plate and roughly tousled his hair. "Listen, nerd, I tracked you down here because I have to tell you something. I can't make it to the movies tonight."

"What?" Spinelli tried to twist around in his seat, but her hands were on his shoulder and made that task difficult. "But they're screening some of the best Hitchcock films ever made! Approximately six straight hours of the best Hollywood intrigue and suspense flicks our crappy theatre has to offer. I've been looking forward to this for weeks, and you promised you'd come with me. We were going to make a night of it. It was _Hitchcock!_"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, falling off the bell tower, blood in the shower, birds in the telephone booth, poison in the milk," she rattled off. "Look, a thing came up with _Crimson_ and Kate and I are flying out to Houston in about two hours. I have to run upstairs and throw together a quick overnight bag-"

"So I assume you'll be taking all 20 lbs. of your makeup along with you?" he interrupted dryly as Nadine watched this exchange in amusement.

Maxie biffed him lightly upside the head. "-and then I have to jet. So no movies tonight. But…I am getting paid triple overtime for this because Kate knew I had plans with you, and guess what I'm going to spend it on."

Spinelli rolled his eyes. "Something shiny for yourself."

"Something geeky for _you_," Maxie corrected, leaning forward so that they were looking directly at each other as he tilted his head back. She grinned when he appeared to relent and pressed a quick upside-down kiss to his lips. "Great. See you tomorrow night at the latest. And hey, take Nadine with you to the movies. You like that old black and white intellectual murder stuff, right?"

"Uh…" She opened and shut her mouth, and finally settled on nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd be happy to go with you."

"Great," Maxie beamed. "Now I don't have to feel guilty. Gimme a fry."

"I thought you said you were watching your calories," Spinelli remarked, pulling the plate within her reach. "What happened to that?"

"What are you, Jenny Craig? Leave me alone."

"Hey! I said you could have one or two – not that many!"

Maxie scooped up the rest into a napkin in her hand and hopped out of reach when he made a grab for her. "Thanks for the food, Spinelli. I'll call you when we land, okay?"

"Fine," he grumbled, hunkering down in his seat once more.

"Love you."

He watched her trot over to the stairs, taking them two at a time despite her ridiculous four-inch heels. "Love you, too. Hey, Nadine, can I have some of your fries?"

She pushed her plate over toward him and smiled. "See? That's what I'm talking about?"

"What?" He looked up from the process of scooping her fries into his plate. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Maxie," she sighed, propping her chin in her hand. "She knows how you feel about her and she's secure enough in herself not to feel threatened by any woman that looks your way."

"It's fortunate for her that not too many do," Spinelli admitted.

Nadine had to smile at that. "You know what I mean. And you – you know that she's totally fine so you don't feel like you have to go out of your way to keep her pacified or change yourself because of her."

Her friend shot her a smirky look and picked up his half-eaten sandwich. "Guess your friend Johnny Z has a few things to learn, huh?"

Nadine matched his wry grin with one of her own. "Think you could teach it?"

"Why not?" he replied amiably. "I'll call it, the Zen of the Jackal."


	32. 31

**The Right Girl 31**

Her mission – and she chose to accept it – was to avoid Johnny Zacchara. And so far, about five days after the horrible encounter in the library, it was going pretty well.

The five days had given her the chance to cool down a bit and gain some perspective. She'd gotten over her initial anger and her resentment, and she'd listened to Spinelli – really listened to him – and was eventually able to agree that Lulu hadn't known what she was talking about when she mouthed off about Jolene.

The five days had been five peaceful, if not boring, ones. No more run-ins with Johnny at the hospital. No more midnight sojourns on the roof. No more packages, no more screaming matches with Lulu in public for all the staff to see, and no more verbal sparring matches – however fun, though draining – with Claudia Zacchara.

Plus, she was ignoring his many phone calls, too, so that helped.

It was good this way. She was spending more time with Spinelli – even Maxie, who was supremely amused by the gossip of the Lulu-Nadine smackdown and occasionally teased her for trying to steal her nerdy man – and more time with Nikolas, which was good. Both men kept her amused and engaged and kept her mind off of her pesky little issues, so that was something. She was also organizing her pad, which was helpful. So far, she'd organized all of her jewelry, all of her books, all of her beauty supplies (admittedly not too many), and all of her old crap from nursing school. Her apartment had never been cleaner or more functional.

She had also gone shopping and thankfully, her foul mood had not led to spending gross amounts on shiny things she didn't need. She had purchased a few nice tops and a cute dress and a pair of absolutely gorgeous shoes, and she'd been putting a little more effort into her appearance lately. After all, she was a single young woman: did she have to dress like a frump all the time? So what if she was a nurse and spent most of her time in the hospital? Elizabeth was a nurse and she always looked great whenever she stepped out of the locker room at the end of a shift.

Of course, that whole 'looking her age' bit hadn't gone over as well as she'd hoped. She'd slicked on a pretty gloss and some eyeliner, paired with a cute silky top and all she'd gotten for her trouble was a quirked brow from Leo, a joke from Cassius, an odd look from Patrick, and absolutely nothing whatsoever from Ian. Nikolas had been nice enough to tell her that she looked lovely, but he always thought she looked nice so that was hardly saying anything and sadly, those new things were now residing in her closet again, closer to the back than the front. Maybe she'd pull them out one day when she was feeling a little more daring.

Nadine was so engrossed in filing the last of her patient charts – and not thinking about a certain someone whose father's file happened to be in her hand at that very moment – that she didn't even hear Elizabeth and the other girls come into the hub until the brunette nurse slung her arm around her shoulders.

"Okay, that's it, put those away. Work day's over, and you're coming with us."

She looked around and found Elizabeth, Kelly, Leyla and Regina all grinning at her. "Uh – what gives? Where are you taking me?"

"You don't have any plans tonight, do you?"

Nadine shook her head slowly, wondering if she should be afraid or at the very least concerned that her colleagues were taking such an interest in her. "No. Why? What are we doing?"

"We're going to Jake's," Elizabeth announced, pushing Nadine out of the hub and toward the locker room. "Come on, hurry up and let's get out of here. Coleman doesn't like to be kept waiting."

* * *

Sure enough, the burly bartender was indeed waiting for them. He grinned when the ladies made their way into the bar and grabbed each of them a beer, on the house.

Nadine, bottle in hand, smirked as the girls led her over to one of the tables. "So I take it you guys do this a lot, huh?"

Kelly rolled her eyes and popped a few peanuts into her mouth. "Honey, please. You make us all sound like lushes."

"We just come here occasionally for a Girls' Night Out," Elizabeth answered, pulling up a seat next to her. "We sit, we talk, we drink, we play pool, and then we go home."

"It's usually just us," Kelly picked up. "Sometimes Robin comes but obviously she can't drink in her present condition, poor thing, and I think she and Patrick were doing something tonight anyway, and Lainey used to come with, but…"

She trailed off and snapped her mouth shut, and Nadine didn't need any additional hints. It was common knowledge that Elizabeth Webber wanted nothing to do with her former friend ever since the psychiatrist had immediately jumped on the idea that she had hurt her son Jake when the boy had been kidnapped a year ago. Things were still extremely frosty between the two.

"We just come here to unwind a little after a hard day," Leyla piped up, eager to change the subject. She took a long pull from her bottle and then tipped it at Nadine. "And it looks like we got to you just in time. You've been having a rough time of it lately, haven't you?"

"Me?" Nadine scoffed and played with her bottle because she honestly didn't know what to do with her hands. "No. What makes you say that?"

Elizabeth arched a brow at her, looking somewhat amused. "Oh, come on, Nadine. We're not blind. Just because you close your eyes doesn't mean we can't see you. That's Cam's logic right there."

"Honestly, guys, everything's-"

"And don't even try that 'everything's fine, you guys,' stuff," Kelly cut in, doing a fine, simpering impression of Nadine that made the other girls laugh. "Cut the crap, girl. That's the rule at Jake's: leave all your crap at the door. Here we drink and we dish and we cut the bullshit."

"Agreed," Leyla and Regina replied in unison, clicking their bottles together. "So spill it."

Nadine looked around the table, her mouth open in a mixture of laughter and disbelief. She had absolutely no idea these girls could read her as well as that. "I – uh – I guess I'm just a little-"

Elizabeth groaned good-naturedly. "Twenty bucks says she's going to say she's tired. That's what she _always _says."

"And she's always _lying_," Regina added, sticking her tongue out at Nadine. "'Fess up, girlfriend, we know something's bugging you. We know you've got problems."

"We've _all_ got problems," Kelly smirked when Nadine balked at her friend's blunt remark. "Mine are of the, er, erotic nature, Regina's are of the overcompulsive nature, Leyla's are of the 'other woman' nature and Elizabeth's are of the…the…um…"

The nurse in question lifted her bottle in a mock toast to her eclectic bunch of issues. "Let's call it the grab bag. I do."

"Right," the obstetrician laughed. "So, see? We've all got problems. And we know you do, too."

"You've been quiet lately," Elizabeth remarked, giving her a sidelong look. "Normally you're the most chipper one in this bunch, but you've been pretty withdrawn this past week. If I want to hear your voice, _I _have to draw you into a conversation."

"Well…" Nadine shrugged and drew her hands into her lap. "I've just kind of had some confusing stuff dumped in my lap and I had to figure it out."

"Have you?" Kelly asked frankly.

To that, she was forced to shrug again and shake her head. "Nope. To be honest, I…I guess I'm surprised that any of you noticed. I must have been off in my own world, huh?"

"Well, you've certainly been keeping to yourself," Leyla offered. "Normally I'd see you flitting about all over the place – Pedes, the OR, the hub, the locker room, the lounge, the waiting room, all over the place. But this past week it's like you've holed up in your own little corner or something."

"And I haven't seen any more of those mysterious packages," Elizabeth murmured around the mouth of her bottle, drawing wicked smiles from the other girls as Nadine's lips parted in surprise.

"Nor have we seen that Johnny Zacchara lurking about," Leyla smirked, her dark eyes glittering when Nadine gaped at her. "Oh, yes, we've noticed far more than you give us credit for."

Next to her, Kelly was giggling. "And he's kind of hard to miss, I'll say that much. Those eyes, that smile, those broad shoulders, that butt you could bounce a quarter off of-"

Elizabeth laughed when Nadine turned bright red. "Look! Look! She noticed, too!"

Nadine closed her eyes and let herself laugh, surprised by how good it felt. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done this, just sat around with a bunch of girls and let her guard down a little. "Okay, if you guys are done making fun of me-"

"Please." It was Kelly's turn to scoff. "We rag on each other _all the time_. Get used to it. And since you're the newbie in our little club, it means we get to rag on you even more. So, tell us, what's the story with Mister Hot Hot Hottie Hot Mob Boy?"

"You want a story? All right." She tossed a few peanuts in the air and caught them in her mouth, pondering her words. "Okay. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Nadine and a boy named Johnny. They lived in the towns of Port Charles and Crimson Pointe-"

"Boring," Leyla interrupted. "Get to the good stuff – the sex and the violence. That's what I like in my stories."

"No sex in this story," Nadine smirked, making Elizabeth laugh. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, _booo_," Kelly jeered. "A story without sex? Toss that in the Mother Goose pile and give me something raunchy and fun."

"You wanna hear the story or not?"

"Guys, shut up," Elizabeth ordered, flicking a peanut at Kelly. "Let her tell it. Go ahead, Nadine, I still want to hear."

"Where was I?"

"Boy named Johnny and girl named Nadine."

"Right." She took a quick pull from her bottle and rolled it between her palms. "Nadine worked in a hospital where she got all sorts of fun packages from Johnny."

"Dirty."

She grinned at Kelly but decided to ignore her. "Somehow, they had a tradition of trading small, stupid gifts back and forth. Now, Johnny was a nice boy but he had some not-so-nice qualities, first and foremost being his bitch of a girlfriend."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard her swear!"

"About time," Leyla grinned. "Go on, Nadine, don't hold back."

"One day, Johnny had invited Nadine over to his scary mansion – the home of his even scarier sister who apparently lived to torment our lovely heroine – and the two of them were sitting in his library when the aforementioned bitch of a girlfriend huffed and puffed and blew the door down. She said all sorts of nasty things to Johnny and Nadine, and naturally, Johnny took it because he always does. Nadine wanted nothing more than to pop the stupid cow a good one but she didn't because she's too damn nice and it always comes back to bite her in the butt. The end."

"Good story," Kelly told her. "Crappy hero. You should pop him a good one on sheer principle, too."

"Lulu went off on you, huh?" Elizabeth sighed and ran her finger up and down the neck of her bottle, remembering Nadine and Lulu's last public confrontation at General Hospital. "That's too bad. She can be a little too aggressive for her own good sometimes. And the sad part is, she wasn't always like that."

"She's a regular little shrew if you ask me," Leyla piped up. "Do you know that ever since her brother's been in the hospital, she's come by once, or twice at most, per week to visit him? She always acts like she's extremely busy, too, but the last I heard, she dropped out of college and lost both her job at Kelly's and the one she was vying for with Kate Howard. I have no idea what the girl even does."

"Annoys me," Nadine grumbled, slapping her empty bottle down on the table. "Ugh, stupid twit. And I have no idea why she's supposedly so jealous of me, either. I never once put the moves on Johnny."

"So I'm guessing that makes _you_ the stupid twit. What?" Kelly asked, batting her lashes innocently when she was met with Nadine's glare. "It does."

Elizabeth laughed and gave Nadine's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Don't try so hard to analyze it. The important thing is that you're a good person, and I don't believe for a second that you'd try to steal someone's boyfriend away. And you always carry yourself with dignity and self-respect, and that's more than I can say for half the women in this town. Good for you that you don't sink to her level. You'd just come off looking as childish and petulant as she sometimes does. Okay, usually does," she added when the others gave her an arch look.

"So what are you going to do about all this?" Regina wanted to know.

"I'm going to just let it go," Nadine replied. "I'm done. I'm done hanging out with Johnny – as fun as that was and as much as I like him – because it's not worth it. I don't need Lulu Spencer constantly barking in my ear about stuff she has no idea about. He's a nice guy and everything and I like him a lot, but as long as he and Lulu are a package deal…no thanks."

"Good for you," Leyla piped up. "And for what it's worth? I think it's for the best. As nice as he may be, Johnny Zacchara is a dangerous boy. Being friends with him could also gain you unwanted attention."

"And usually, danger outweighs hot," Kelly added sadly. "If you're risking your life just for friendship – not even sex or a relationship – then, nope, I'm sorry, but I personally don't think it's worth it. If it was love or something, I could maybe understand…"

Elizabeth, who had been suspiciously quiet during this part of the conversation, looked away and shuffled a few peanuts back and forth on the table. Had they all looked over to the left at that point, they would have also noticed Claudia Zacchara slip quietly into the bar and head straight for the pool tables a few yards away.

"But you just have to be careful and protect yourself and your best interests," Kelly finished firmly.

"Bad boys generally aren't worth it," Leyla sighed. "No matter how alluring they are. Because even if it doesn't start that way, eventually you want to change them and they don't want to change. You were very smart to break it off and come to this decision."

"Agreed," Regina said, placing her palms on the table and standing. "And if he's not going to fight his shrew girlfriend in order to be friends with you, I can only agree that you did the right thing. Relationships – and friendships count, too – shouldn't be one-sided like that. Now, come on, who wants to do shots? It'll take our mind off our depressing problems. Look, Coleman's got the glasses waiting and everything."

"You guys go on," Elizabeth said as the others stood. "I'll be there in a second."

She sounded like she had something to say and so Nadine waited until the other girls were at the counter, hounding Coleman for a bottle of his best tequila. Sure enough, once they were out of earshot, Elizabeth turned to Nadine and spoke seriously for the first time that night.

"Listen, I didn't really want to say this in front of everyone, but at the same time I wanted to be honest with you." She tucked her hair behind her ear and shrugged. "I know it's weird to have everyone poking around in your business and I don't mean to do that, but if something in my experience can help you…"

"Go ahead," Nadine urged. "If you have something to say, I'm listening."

Elizabeth licked her lips and finally just blurted it out. "The other girls were right, but only to a point. I think that you should do what makes you happy, and not stay away from someone _only_ because you think he's bad for you."

She shrugged and offered her colleague a little smile. "Because sometimes it's the bad boys that turn out to be the best men."

Nadine blinked in surprise. It was hardly the sentiment she'd expected from the cautious young mother of two, but there it was all the same. "…So you're telling me that if I want to be with Johnny, I should go for it? That I shouldn't even think about it?"

"I'm telling you not to _overthink_ it," Elizabeth emphasized, not noticing how Claudia looked up in her direction. "Because that's when the real trouble begins. The doubts, the fears, the frustration, the resentment. And that's when you start to hate yourself. I guess I'm saying…Let yourself feel. And go from there."

She gave her a kind smile and got up from her seat, heading a few feet over to the bar where the other girls had already lined up the glasses and distributed the limes. Nadine watched her walk away, still puzzled by her words. For some reason, Elizabeth's little speech and how she seemed almost sad, almost uneasy about it, reminded her of how cagey Spinelli got when she asked him how he was privy to Elizabeth's thoughts about her.

So lost was she in trying to piece together the scattered undertones of Elizabeth's advice that Nadine practically jumped in her seat when she heard a voice behind her.

Claudia Zacchara stood by an empty pool table dressed in a black pencil skirt and silk blouse, and gestured to the two white balls she'd set out. "You wanna play me, or what?"

It certainly wasn't a question or even an invitation: it was a demand. Glancing at the girls at the bar, Nadine slowly rose from her seat and walked over to the pool tables where Johnny's sister was waiting rather impatiently for her.

"Didn't expect to see you here."

"I come here when I want to kill time," Claudia replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "God knows there's nothing else to do in this hick town."

Nadine let that go and moved up to where the older woman motioned for her to stand. "Well, it's good to see you. I guess."

"No one likes a liar," she snipped, gripping her ball and then setting her cue. "Come on, come on, take up your cue. Let's see how good you can lag that."

Nadine grasped the cue that Claudia had selected for her, not realizing that Leyla had noticed them and pointed them out to the other girls who were staring with unabashed interest at the sweet nurse and the brassy mob queen sharing a conversation and a game. "Okay…like this?"

Claudia growled in frustration and set down her cue. "No, not like that. You're not even holding it right. Like this." She adjusted Nadine's fingers and then resumed her stance. "The point is to hit it as straight as you can without getting it on my side and having it hit the back cushion. Whoever's ball touches the back cushion and rebounds the least gets to break first."

"Ah." She gave it her best shot but naturally, Claudia won out. Nadine leaned on her cue and watched as the older woman quickly racked the balls and lined up her shot. "So…you play pool a lot, huh?"

"Pool is a game of cause and effect," she murmured, leaning into the shot. She pulled her hand back and – _smack!_ – the balls scattered on the felt. "It's a game of prediction. Cause: you hit the white ball. Effect: it hits the others and they scatter. Your aim is to predict how they scatter."

"Sounds a lot like how one would run a Sunshine Factory," Nadine couldn't help but quip.

Claudia smirked and straightened. "My point exactly."

She lined up her next shot and Nadine had the distinct feeling that she botched it on purpose because before the balls even finished rolling on the felt, Claudia stood and waved her forward. "Your turn. Go for the red stripe. Try to hit it into the purple."

Her friends were watching and whispering from the bar counter, and though Nadine could feel their eyes on her she did her best to ignore. It was a weird situation all around, being invited or rather, ordered, to play a game of pool with Claudia Zacchara, but she saw no way out of it. Her best option was to try her best and hope that Claudia didn't mock her relentlessly for being so darn bad at it.

She lined up the shot as she was told but didn't put enough muscle into it, and the balls glanced harmlessly off each other and the long cushion. Claudia rolled her eyes but instead of a smart remark, she let out a little sigh and walked around the table.

"Try again. Try to sink the red into the corner pocket this time. And for God's sake, stop shooting like a girl."

Nadine licked her lips and took her time lining up the shot while worrying that her unhurried, deliberate technique was boring her opponent. Claudia looked annoyed and preoccupied, to be sure, but she didn't seem all that impatient as she balanced her cue on the floor right by the corner pocket Nadine was aiming at.

"John's a little dumbass sometimes, you know that?"

She looked up from the shot, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken, and tried to hide a smile. "I heard rumblings. Sneaking suspicions. I think there was a quarterly newsletter put out about it a week ago."

Claudia didn't smile, not that Nadine expected her to. "He's never had any women in his life except his mother, my mother, and me."

Her mouth tightened at the corners when Nadine took her shot and missed horribly. "Guess that kind of explains why he is the way he is. And for fuck's sake, don't wobble your elbow when you pull back for the shot. Screws up your whole trajectory."

"Your turn."

"You're embarrassing," she hissed. "At least hit a damn ball first."

"Oh." Nadine studied the layout of the table. "Okay. Which one should I aim at?"

"Blue. Side pocket. If you can hit hard enough to knock the yellow into the corner, better." Claudia leaned her hip against the table as Nadine walked around the side. She met Elizabeth's gaze as she lined up the shot, and her colleague lifted an eyebrow in warning. Clearly, she was as apprehensive about her pool partner as Nadine was herself. Next to her, Kelly was moving her index finger back and forth across her throat.

It was reassuring.

Only in the sense that it wasn't at all.

"He always had his hands full with my father," Claudia continued, her voice low. "Girls never even entered the equation. There were a ton of them that had a thing for him – I've heard it's his dark eyes and his smile. Never really saw it myself, but supposedly that was what drew all the little skirts to him. He was completely oblivious."

"Well, that's changed a bit," Nadine tried to joke.

Again, Claudia seemed barely to be listening. "Now he doesn't really know what to do. He doesn't have one girl; he has two. And it freaks him out."

Her jaw dropped and Nadine straightened, all thoughts of lining up the shot forgotten. "He doesn't _have_ me-"

"Line up the damn shot," she instructed, "before I hit menopause."

A long silence stretched between them as Nadine did what she was told, and just as she had pulled the cue back to gear up for the hit, Claudia spoke.

"It's because of me that Lulu went off on you. I wanted it to happen."

She couldn't help but smile. "I know."

The white ball cracked with the force of her hit but unfortunately veered off track before it could do more than glance the blue ball. Nadine let out a frustrated growl and stomped her foot; Claudia arched a brow and glanced down at the felt.

"Warp in the table. Try the yellow. Hold the cue more vertically this time; maybe we'll see a miracle."

"Can't I go for the orange and try to knock the green into the side pocket at the same time?"

Claudia shrugged. "Whatever."

She considered it for a moment: follow the original order and go with the yellow, or go with her own instinct? In the end, she'd figured she'd go for the orange. There was a small chance Claudia wouldn't mind being snubbed like that.

But it appeared that the older woman was a little too preoccupied to care when Nadine moved over to her side of the table, across from the orange ball she had her sights on. "My brother has a choice to make."

She paused in the act of leaning down and listened, really listened to what Claudia had to say. Naturally, she didn't disappoint.

"The choice isn't between you and Lulu – don't flatter yourself. He's got to decide if he's going to be his own man or if he's going to stay the little boy that our father demeaned and terrorized. I just hope he makes the right decision and for once, acts accordingly."

A sharp crack issued forth as Nadine hit the ball with every last bit of skill and force she could muster. The orange ball impacted the green one, sending it right into the side pocket, but rolled just short of its own.

Claudia gazed down at it as it rolled to a slow stop just centimeters from the pocket. "If you've taught him anything at all, I think he will."

With that, she reached out and flicked the ball into the pocket. Nadine could only stare in a mixture of utter bewilderment and awe as Claudia hefted her cue and dropped it on the table before turning on her heel.

"Bored now," she called blandly over her shoulder. "Leaving."


	33. 32

**The Right Girl 32**

"Robin's drug protocol is showing promising results."

Nadine smiled warmly as she moved closer to his bedside. "That's wonderful, Nikolas. I heard Patrick and Robin talking about it and I couldn't be more thrilled than I am right now."

"The tumor appears to be shrinking slightly," he continued eagerly as she hopped up on the bed in front of him. Normally he was pretty active at this time of the day and usually took a walk outside with his cane in hand, but he had just gotten back from a battery of tests and those always wore him down. "It's not going to shrink and dissolve completely, of course, but it's approaching the size that is the cutoff for a treatment that consists of a combination of electroshock therapy and continued drug manipulation."

"You mean the treatment being developed by Dr. Rosenthal at Presbyterian?"

"That's the one," Nikolas replied. "His clinical trials have been nothing short of amazing, according to the articles I've read, and everyone knows that New York Presbyterian is ranked the best in neurological care."

"So…where are you going with this?" Nadine wanted to know.

A new light, strange and excited and hopeful for the first time in months, glimmered in his dark brown eyes. "Where am I going? Downtown, actually. New York City."

Her jaw dropped and Nadine hopped off the bed in excitement. "You're going to see Dr. Rosenthal? You're going to undergo the treatment? You do know it's still in experimental stages and not FDA-approved, right? Oh, Nikolas! It's your best shot at getting rid of the tumor!"

The Prince was grinning back at her. "I know! Patrick and Ian support it entirely. They said that they want to wait five days at the least and by that time the tumor should be the size specified by Dr. Rosenthal's guidelines. If it is, I'm cleared to make a trip downtown for a consultation. If Dr. Rosenthal accepts me as a patient, I will begin treatment immediately."

Her eyes shone with tears and Nadine flung her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy for you – this is the best news I've heard in…ever!"

Nikolas returned her hug and then gently pulled away, keeping her hands in his gentle grasp. "There was one thing I wanted to ask you, though."

She pulled one hand back to swipe away a lone tear and nodded. "Sure, sure, go ahead."

"I do need a companion on this trip," he started. "Patrick doesn't want me to go alone, and rightfully so because of my somewhat weakened condition and my occasional black-outs. He's obviously out of the running, though, due to his other patients. I couldn't demand that he transfer them and come with me. I don't want Alfred to come; obviously, someone has to run my household and take care of Spencer. My brother's on a stakeout, Elizabeth can't leave her children, and Lulu's too young and has absolutely no medical knowledge whatsoever. So I was wondering…"

He looked up at her hopefully. "Would you mind coming down with me? I'd reimburse you for the days you missed here at the hospital, of course, and I'll take care of all your travel, food, and rooming expenditures. I'll make it as easy and smooth as I possibly can for you."

Nadine smiled warmly, touched that he would want her to come along. True, it was mostly because she was a nurse and, being familiar with his case, would know what to do if something went wrong, but she also knew it was because he trusted her. "I'd love to go with you, Nikolas."

If anything, a week away from Port Charles would do her some good. And she was always complaining that she didn't get out all that much, so this was the perfect solution.

* * *

She wasn't answering his phone calls, she wasn't returning his messages, and it was driving him absolutely crazy.

Johnny was the first to admit that he had little experience with this sort of thing. In his life, people paid attention to him. He was the firstborn son of Anthony Zacchara, the heir to the Zacchara organization and extensive properties. When he talked, people listened. They had ever since he was a little snipe that always fell asleep at all the business dinners.

And the thing was, if he talked and he was ignored, those ignoring him paid the price.

But obviously, Nadine couldn't be fit into that category by any stretch of conduct. She was a girl with no connection to his professional life. She was just a girl that he wanted to spend time with; a girl that was rebuffing his every attempt to do so this past week and a half.

He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Lulu never ignored his calls. She never ignored the messages he left her. She was always available whenever he needed her or wanted her. He never had to chase after her – except in the beginning of their relationship when she was with Logan but even then, she had a peculiar way of coming around to him.

Nadine was making things very difficult for him.

And that was why he found himself standing at her door, knocking and knocking and earning strange looks from one of her neighbors, one night after he knew she would have returned from the hospital.

He heard her scuffle about inside and presently the door opened.

"Can I – oh." Her lips settled into a tight line and she didn't open the door all the way. "It's you."

Johnny shifted, feeling incredibly uneasy what with the way she was looking at him, like she barely knew him at all. "Hey. I, uh, you, um, you weren't returning my phone calls."

The corner of her mouth curved up slightly, and her tone was surprisingly gentle when she spoke. "Most people would take that as a hint."

"Nadine…"

She looked away at his exasperated tone and tucked damp blonde waves behind her ear. He noticed somewhat belatedly that she wore pajama bottoms printed with very cheerful bunnies, and that the thin pink t-shirt she wore was soaked at the shoulders and neckline from her long, wet hair. "What did you come here for, Johnny?"

Her voice shook him from his silent reverie. "I, uh…I wanted to apologize."

Just like the first time he tried to tell her that, Nadine turned her face and took a step back. "You don't have to."

"And-" He cleared his throat when she turned back to him. "I miss you."

He didn't know what he had expected. Some kind of sign, really. A slight curve of her lips, a softening of her tightly-held mouth, a glimmer in those pale sapphire eyes…anything would have done, really.

But Nadine just stared blankly back at him. "…I can't."

Johnny blinked. "Can't, what?"

"Can't do this again," she shrugged. "Won't do this again. Take your pick."

He snapped his mouth shut, surprised, then blurted out, "Look, I'm sorry for what Lulu said to you. It was completely out of line and complete bullshit, and you're the last person in the world that deserves that. And I'm sorry I lied to her about our friendship. What more do you want me to say?"

"Nothing," she replied honestly. "Mostly because it's not you that should be saying it. Haven't you noticed a pattern at all, John?"

It was the first time she'd called him John, and he could only stare at her as she answered the question. "Lulu gets out of hand, you do nothing, and then you come around apologizing for her behavior. That shouldn't fall on you, Johnny. It's not your responsibility. And it's not your fault, either."

"Look-"

"I get why you lied to her about our friendship," she interrupted. "I really do. It was just easier that way, I'm sure. But at the same time, I don't think that I should have to deal with your psychotic, insecure bitch of a girlfriend getting in my face whenever she feels like it just because you're too much of a wuss to tell her to piss off."

Boy, Kelly Lee was getting to her. That was probably the most unforgiving thing Nadine had ever said of anyone, and it felt damn good at that. Hell, she was just surprised that she'd had the guts to say it at all. Boy, would Elizabeth and the girls be proud.

Johnny appeared surprised as well, and was staring at her with huge eyes.

"You're a nice guy," she told him softly. "I still think that. But Lulu's not, and as far as I'm concerned, she's not my problem and she shouldn't be, by any stretch of the word or the imagination. I liked hanging out with you and I valued our friendship more than you know but if you and Lulu are a package deal, then I'm going to have to cut my losses. I can't deal with it anymore."

"But-"

She took a step back and began to close the apartment door. "I think we had it right the first time – just stay away from each other. That's what I plan to do. Goodnight, Johnny."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Regina was still down in Pedes, presumably cleaning up after their very well received puppet show alone because Nadine had been paged to the nurses' station. Leyla, who was there finishing up her paperwork, grinned at her colleague as she walked on up and immediately opened up an application on the computer to look up a patient's file.

"Hey, you. You're chipper today."

"I'm always chipper, aren't I?" Nadine grinned, finding the information she needed and opening up another application to fax it down to the pharmacy. "Or do I seem inordinately so today?"

"Inordinately so," Leyla replied with certainty. "Especially considering that it's the end of your full shift and…oh! Today's the day, isn't it?"

"Today's the day," Nadine replied proudly. "In ten minutes, I'm heading to the locker room to change, go home, kill three hours, and then get in a limo headed for the airport with my favorite patient."

"Prince Charming, you mean," the nurse drawled.

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, it's nothing like that. I told you a million times, there's nothing going on between me and Nikolas."

"I know that," Leyla replied somewhat defensively. "Believe me, I know that the one you've really got a thing for is that Johnny Zacchara. But," she added when Nadine opened her mouth to let out a squawk, "that's what everyone else seems to think – that Cinderella's found her prince."

"Everyone meaning…"

"Amy Vining."

"Ah, so _everybody_ then," Nadine chuckled, knowing how the senior nurse loved to gossip. "Well, that's okay, they can say whatever they want about me. They're going to anyway, so I might as well not get an ulcer over it."

"Positive thinking," Leyla chirped. "I like it."

"Girls." Kelly Lee walked up to the hub and deposited her files in the bin. "How goes it?"

"I am so ready to get out of here," Elizabeth groaned, coming up from the other side. "Grams wanted the boys today after daycare, so now I have an empty house in desperate need of cleaning waiting for me."

"Ouch." Kelly wrinkled her nose. "Screw that – a little dust never killed anyone. Besides, studies show that people who live in a house with a little healthy clutter aren't as susceptible to allergies and asthma. Put it off."

"Put it off," Leyla agreed. "What's the fun in cleaning? If you have some time to yourself today, might as well make the most of it. I'm not saying that those two boys aren't just the cutest thing, but I imagine keeping up with them can be quite taxing."

"True enough," Elizabeth sighed, leaning against the counter. "So, what about you girls? Any plans tonight?"

"I'm going to New York in a couple hours," Nadine piped up. "But I've got some time to kill."

"I've got nothing," Leyla agreed.

"Me, neither." Kelly tossed her hair over her should and glanced at the clock. "So, what about it? We going to Jake's to knock back some tequila or what? Sounds like the perfect night for it."

Nadine nipped her lower lip and glanced away. It was true, she'd enjoyed her night out with the girls last week – even though the pool game with the unexpected partner had been a little unsettling – and it had been exactly what she needed. But she wasn't altogether sure she bought into all of it.

The purpose of those nights out, she had been told, was to sit and dish about problems and get them all out there, clear the air a bit. But what she couldn't help but notice as the night dragged on was that none of the other girls really shared that much.

Kelly hadn't expounded on her issues – rumor had it she was a sex addict of some sort, but to be honest, Nadine didn't see the alarms going off if she was careful about protection and getting tested and all that – and Regina hadn't gone into hers at all. Leyla's issues with Patrick and Robin were already public knowledge, so she technically didn't have to. And Elizabeth – Elizabeth had been most mysterious of all. Nadine knew that she had two little boys and that she had divorced their father, Lucky Spencer, a year or so ago, but she also knew that there was more to the story than that. Personally, she couldn't help but think that the 'more' might have been Jason Morgan who had a pesky little habit of hanging around the nurse whenever he thought he could get away with it.

So while the night had been a lot of fun, she also thought it was a bit misleading. They hadn't shared anything with her, and she hadn't shared much with them. She'd glossed over everything she learned about Johnny, what she told him, how he confided in her about his life and his family and everything else. She'd severely downplayed the importance of their friendship to her – severely downplayed _his_ importance to her.

And if they went out for drinks again, they'd just get bogged down again in that meaningless exchange. Now that she was so close to actually making a good group of girlfriends, she didn't necessarily want to let that go by mindlessly tossing back shots and talking about nothing. Aunt Rayleen always said, a turtle travels only when it sticks its little neck out. If she wanted to make friends at General Hospital, she'd have to make more of an effort.

"Actually…" She clicked out of the application and turned around, facing the other women. "Instead of drinks, how about we get some dinner together, all of us?"


	34. 33

**The Right Girl 33**

_New York City, in the hotel restaurant where the Zacchara entourage is staying…_

"And I've taken all precautions to assure your safety in the city, John," Trevor was saying. "After the attempt on your life three days ago, I'm not taking any chances."

Johnny looked over in time to see his sister snort into her wine glass.

"I don't trust your precautions, Trevors," she growled, setting the glass down on the tablecloth. "If I left it up to you, I'm sure John's wine would have been poisoned before it got to the table."

Johnny arched a brow at the suspicious glass.

"I've arranged protection on my own," Claudia continued, and they both noticed when Trevor's lips settled into a grim line. "I'd be stupid and blind not to."

"I have no idea what I've done to earn your mistrust, Claudia, but-"

"Spare me," she murmured dryly. "Just eat your damn dinner. We'll let you know when we need you to open your trap."

Johnny watched Trevor growl at the insult as he did what he was told, anyway. There wasn't much else the attorney could do, at any rate.

The dispute settled with Claudia's well-timed insults, he returned to his own dinner and resumed poking at it. They were in the city for a meeting with an associate and had no choice but to bring Trevor along. This had all come about three days after an attempt on his life that Johnny had only barely managed to escape.

He was driving along the Cliff Road when a car came up from behind him and tried to run him off the cliff. When he'd switched into the oncoming lane, safely away from the flimsy guardrail, the car had pulled up alongside and began taking shots at him. It was what action movies were made of, really, and Johnny was quite pleased with his manner of escape. While maneuvering his car along the sharp curves and turns, all the while worrying that he'd head right into a car coming the opposite way, he'd pulled his gun out from under his seat and readied it. Then, he'd abruptly slammed on the brakes, letting the other car speed one length ahead, and shot out its tires.

The car had swerved and gone over the edge. There had been no chance that anyone survived and when his crew came back from cleaning it up and taking care of any evidence possibly left behind, they'd confirmed the same. Johnny had, thankfully, remembered the model and make of the car (the plate had been purposely obscured) and that had been something for Claudia to go on. She'd given her men the assignment and told them to get whatever information they could about who it was that wanted her brother killed.

"How's your steak, John?"

"Good." He cut off a small portion and balanced it on his fork with his knife. "Here. Want some?"

Claudia accepted it and then pushed part of her own dinner toward the side of her plate. "Try that, it's really good. Oh, and take the little crispy things off the top, could you? I hate those."

They switched as best they could and resumed eating, each one left to his or her own private thoughts. Finally, Trevor broke the silence.

"John, can I ask you something?"

He took a sip of his water. "Sure."

"You never told me how you got away the other day," Trevor murmured, waving his fork in emphasis. "Sure, you said that the car pulled up alongside you and took shots at you, but you never mentioned how you got away. It's been bothering me since."

Johnny glanced at his sister and saw her very discreetly shake her head as she sipped her wine for cover. Expression grim, he cleared his throat and fiddled awkwardly with his fork. "Nothing much to say. The car pulled up next to me and started taking shots. I gunned it, got the hell out of there, and they couldn't keep up. The tires spun out and they went over the edge. I didn't turn back."

Claudia went about peacefully cutting up her meat. "Damn lucky, John."

"That's what I thought."

Trevor's shrewd gray eyes darted back and forth between the Zacchara siblings, and he knew he was being pushed to the outside. It was clear that Claudia was up to something and that whatever it was, John was going along with her.

"I trust that you're going to do something about this latest attempt on John's life, Claudia?" He arched a brow at her. "Wouldn't be very sisterly of you if you didn't."

"Don't worry about how sisterly I'm being, Trevors," she replied blandly. "Not when there are so many other things for you to worry about."

"Beg pardon?"

"You better make sure this meeting is worth our time." Hard obsidian eyes bore into his as Johnny shifted in his seat. "I didn't make the arrangements to come stay in the city for four nights just to shoot the breeze with some old chum of yours. If I have to shoot the breeze, Trevors, I'm warning you, I'll come back with an itch to shoot something else."

"Claudia, if I've explained this to you once, I've explained it a hundred times…"

Trevor once again launched into the proposal set forth by the associate they would be meeting with, but Johnny tuned him out. He wasn't interested in the matter. Frankly, it wasn't even really up to him anyway. Any decision that had to be made would be made by Claudia.

He let out a sigh and swilled his wine around the glass before deigning to take a small sip. Damn Claudia's stupid jokes about poisoned wine. It was an excellent year, though; he had to give his sister credit for having an exceptional knack for picking out the best wine.

"Right this way to your table, sir," the maitre d' was saying in the distance. "I've had it readied according to your very specifications."

Johnny set his wine glass down and reached for his napkin, dabbing at the corner of his mouth as the small group passed by.

"And might I just say, Prince Cassidine-"

He turned at the familiar name just in time to see Nikolas smile graciously at the maitre d' of the hotel restaurant, but what really caused him to sputter on his saliva was the woman by the Prince's side.

"-It is an honor to have you and your lovely companion with us, Sir."

Nikolas bowed his head humbly. "Thank you. I myself am very pleased with my reception here along with the service. You, Nadine?"

"Everything's just lovely," she beamed as they were led to their table.

Johnny's lips parted in surprise as he watched them walk past. Nikolas was dressed in a formal black suit with a handsome silver-tipped cane, his hair slicked elegantly back, and his elbow was crooked just so to allow Nadine's gentle hand to rest comfortably there.

She was wearing a black dress that ended just at her knees, and the fabric lapped there alluringly. Her jewelry was minimal, her hair was wavy and partially pulled back with a few hairpins in a manner decidedly lacking ostentation, and the nurse moved gracefully with her companion atop black high-heeled pumps.

She looked nothing like the way he was used to her looking, and it was kind of unsettling, that. And so Johnny didn't really scold himself for the way he stared openly, confounded not only by her choice of company and her stunning appearance but the mere fact that she was there at all.

Claudia, who had heretofore been listening to Trevor, noticed her brother gaping at something else entirely and followed his gaze. The corners of her mouth tightened when she saw who he was staring at – very like Claudia to not let surprise get the best of her – and then she aimed a sharp kick at him under the table.

Johnny snapped his mouth shut and turned his attention back to his food once more, kicking himself this time when he saw Trevor's eyes slide toward the young nurse and the prince. The attorney stared gravely, then picked up his glass of wine and lifted it to his lips, adroitly hiding a small, thoughtful smile.

* * *

He had watched her all through dinner. Discreetly, though, so Trevor wouldn't be able to attain any more ammunition. She and Nikolas looked perfectly happy at their cozy little table, and she didn't once look up and notice him halfway across the room.

She had asked for the flan. It must have been good, too, because she had closed her eyes after her lips closed around the first spoonful. If he had been closer, John was sure he would have heard a little moan. Girls seemed to do that with desserts every so often.

They finished with their food before Nikolas and Nadine and had no reason to remain in the restaurant. Trevor had taken a cab to meet an old friend at his place leaving Johnny and Claudia at the hotel. His sister had suggested getting a drink at the bar across from the restaurant. From his seat, he could just barely make out the oblivious couple.

Thankfully, Claudia hadn't said anything about the inordinate amount of attention he was paying to the two of them. Johnny was very grateful for that because he didn't want to think about it. And he definitely didn't want to think of all the possible reasons that something in his stomach clenched every time Nikolas put his hand over Nadine's or when she laughed at something he said or when he saw their legs brush under the table.

He and Claudia were done with their drinks by the time Nikolas and Nadine left the restaurant, and his sister excused herself for a minute when a phone call came at the desk for her. So Johnny had no choice but to sit on one of the cream-colored armchairs in the massive general lobby waiting for her, and it was in doing so that he was able to spot Nadine again.

Nikolas was talking to the owner of the hotel, a tall man with silver hair, and Nadine was smiling politely at whatever was being said. The elderly gentleman shook the prince's hand and excused himself, and Nikolas pointed out the way to the staircase leading up to the grand elevators. He was ahead of her by several steps due to the fact that she must have heard her phone buzz and accordingly checked her purse, and Johnny watched sourly as Nikolas turned, realizing this, and gallantly held out his hand to Nadine.

She smiled and accepted it, slipping her smaller, fair one into his, and he helped her up to the landing and pressed for the elevator.

Claudia sauntered up to him and drummed her fingers along the back of his chair. "Sorry about that. It was Trevors saying he'd be late and not to wait up. You ready to go back?"

Only when the elevator doors slid shut did Johnny get up from his seat. He pitched the folded up paper onto the coffee table and rolled his shoulders, trying to rid them of the tension gathered there.

"Yeah, fine."

* * *

Claudia had barked at the receptionist over the phone until she had secured the only luxury suite at the hotel with a grand piano in the drawing room. Johnny thought it was stupid at the time, but he realized just how well his sister knew him when his first thought upon arriving back upstairs was that he wanted to sit on the bench and play.

His sister left him alone and retired to her bedroom to change into her nightclothes. She emerged half an hour later in a pair of modest black silk pajamas with her hair pulled back in a braid and her face freshly scrubbed and free of makeup to find him on the bench, playing an odd tune.

Johnny didn't look up when she sat down next to him, careful not to disturb or jostle him. He simply played on from memory, knowing full well that he was repeating roughly the same two minutes of the song over and over because he had forgotten the damn coda and how it tapered off.

About eight minutes later, Claudia figured this out, too. Because of her insight, she felt no compunction in interrupting him at a particularly slow time. "What are you playing?"

He didn't stop, didn't even look up from the keys. "Jeeves and Wooster."

His sister wrinkled her nose. "You mean, like, the books?"

"The books were made into a TV show."

"I don't watch that much TV."

"I know," he smiled.

Claudia watched him play for a minute longer. "It's a bit sad, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"From what I remember, the books were funny," she shrugged. "Jeeves did stuff and Wooster saved him."

"Other way around."

"Whatever." She tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "It was funny. What you're playing – it's sad. Well, not sad. Just…tired. Weary. Like it's dragging its feet."

"It's the minor keys," he murmured, still not looking up. "That's why it sounds so tired."

"You sure it's the minor keys? And not the fact that you're a moron?"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "You've already given me the Hamlet lecture. If you want, I can repeat it over in my head and save you the trouble."

She smiled and watched him play some more. It was just the two of them in the suite so he could play for as long as he wanted. When she had booked the rooms, she had gotten the two of them the luxury suite and booked a single for Trevor on one of the normal floors.

Heh.

"So you should probably know that Vacuum Girl sucks ass at pool."

Johnny skipped two notes and arched a brow at her. "…And how did you come by this information?"

"Played her. She sucked ass."

He dropped his fingers on the keys, issuing forth a series of clunky notes. "What did you do?"

"Don't look at me like that," Claudia frowned. "You're acting like I set up a snare for her. I was at Jake's killing time before a meeting and she was there knocking back tequila with a couple of girlfriends."

"Nadine has girlfriends?"

"Apparently. That baby doctor at the hospital, and a couple of nurses. They were looking pretty chummy. At one point they went to do something so we had time for a quick game. She sucked ass."

"You mentioned that already," Johnny groaned. "Claudia, what the hell did you do?"

"Why do you always ask me that?! Isn't it possible that we had a good time?"

"No," he ground out. "Why'd you do it?"

"Look, it wasn't my fault that I walked into Jake's and she happened to be there," Claudia insisted, conveniently leaving out the part where she'd had one of her men keep an eye on the nurse and let her know when she was at the dive. "I saw her there, we talked, we shot a quick game, and I left. I don't know what you're freaking out about."

"How, uh…" Johnny cleared his throat and lined his fingers up on the keys again. "How was she? How'd she seem?"

"She seemed fine," Claudia replied honestly. "Just fine. Why?"

"Nothing, really."

They sat in silence for a long while, listening to another go-around of the old theme song, before Claudia let her head loll back and closed her eyes.

"You know…" She pressed her lips together and her lashes fluttered. "There are so many things about her that annoy me, but there's one thing that I just really hate about her."

His fingers faltered and Johnny trailed off on the keys. It was the first time his sister had ever said anything about hating either of the girls he knew. Sure, she railed against Lulu all the time but she never once used the word 'hate' and of the two of them, Johnny always figured she'd much sooner use it on the youngest Spencer than the sweet nurse.

"What's that?"

Claudia straightened and looked at him openly, blankly, sadly. "How can anyone be so happy all the time?"

Johnny struggled for words. "…Well, sometimes it's just an act…"

She let out an exasperated sigh and pushed herself up from the bench, beginning to pace around in front of him. "That's not the point. Of course it's an act half the time – if it wasn't, she'd belong in a fucking straitjacket. It's just…how can someone even _pretend_ to be that happy all the time? Every time she spouts off about that dead aunt of hers or shares one of those corn-pone sayings or even-"

"-Dares to look at the glass as half full?" Johnny suggested dryly.

"Exactly!" Claudia burst out. "She's either really stupid or – really stupid! Who can be that happy?"

"What do you have against that?"

"Exactly that. No one should be that optimistic all the time – it's creepy." She shook her head and if he wasn't mistaken, Johnny would have sworn that he saw the beginnings of tears glistening in her eyes. "All the shit in this world – all the shit that people have to deal with…and she didn't exactly escape unscathed, you know. Her sister turned out to be a whack-job, her Aunt Moon Shine died suddenly, hardly anyone in this town likes her, her dad died and her mom left her like a litter of kittens in a dark alley…Shouldn't there be a point that all of that takes effect? That it hits her? That it changes her?"

She shook her head again, flabbergasted by it all. "But it doesn't. She's still cheerful – she's still trying to cheer everyone else up. And I don't get that at all. I just don't get it."

Johnny was trying to piece this together and he vowed that as long as he lived, he'd never understand women. "So…you resent her for being an optimist?"

"Yeah," Claudia finally replied. "Because it's a unique combination of stupid and dangerous at the same time."

"Well…" He clasped his hands between his knees and thought about it. "She's not…entirely an optimist."

Her sister wearily flopped down on one of the couches. "Well, for your sake, I hope not. I could never understand how you could hang out with a starry eyed idealist like her and not want to hurt yourself."

"I think the thing with Nadine is that she tells herself what she needs to in order to go on," he murmured as the realization dawned on him.

Claudia appeared to consider this and finally weighed in with a shrug. "Whatever. But honestly? When she's all sunny and wholesome farm girl-y? I just want to snap her little neck."

She yawned and swiped her bangs out of her face. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Night, John."

He watched her head across the main room and into one of the two bedrooms. "Night, Claudie."

The door shut quietly behind her and the suite was silent except for the muffled noise of traffic outside about a dozen stories below. Johnny sat in the stillness, not moving a muscle, and found his thoughts once again drifting back to the nurse that was probably either one floor above them or one floor below them.

It was true: Nadine did often appear to tell herself whatever she needed to in order to go on. And maybe…just maybe…Well, it certainly gave him a reason to hope that when she told him she needed to stay away and that they were fine but it was better this way, he still had a sliver of a chance.


	35. 34

**Note – **For Mels. Because she poked me. Not in a dirty way, though.

**The Right Girl 34**

"Nikolas, I'm so sorry."

Hot tears pricked at the back of her eyes as Nadine slipped into his suite at General Hospital. He was sitting by the window on a handsome leather ottoman, rolling his cane between his palms and staring blankly out at the overcast spring sky.

He turned his face just a fraction of an inch when he heard her voice but didn't say anything. Nadine exhaled slowly and crossed the room until she was standing behind him.

"I'm so very sorry."

He hadn't qualified for the clinical trials. Dr. Rosenthal was encouraged when he saw from Nikolas's medical files (all of which Nadine had properly organized and written various notations on and brought along) that the Prince suffered from seizures and disorders because those conditions were prerequisites for the treatment, which consisted of a carefully concocted drug cocktail and electrode stimulation of the brain.

One of the drugs that he was using in the highest concentration in the cocktail was something called Klonopin for seizures and panic disorders, and it had shown tremendous success ratings with others who suffered like Nikolas did. But there were a few key differences between those patients and the Prince. During counseling with Lainey, the psychiatrist had been forced to note that Nikolas was depressed and once reported serious suicidal thoughts before his mood medication was adjusted. In addition to this, his respiratory distress was highly problematic and troubling to the world-renowned Doctor Rosenthal, who had read Patrick and Ian's reports very carefully and grimly. And given that liver disease ran in Nikolas's family through his father's side, the matter had been decided.

Those issues in combination made the administration of Klonopin out of the question, thus disqualifying Nikolas from participating in the clinical trials. That particular medication would have killed him faster than the tumor, and it had been out of their hands. So they had returned to Port Charles, right back at square one.

"Thank you." Nikolas didn't look back at her, but she could tell that he took comfort in her presence. "I-I told myself when I first spoke with Dr. Rosenthal not to get my hopes up. But I ended up doing so anyway."

"You're only human," she murmured, resting her hand on his shoulder. "He was giving you a chance to get your life back, you would have had to be made of stone not to let yourself hope a little."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Aunt Rayleen have anything to say on the subject?"

"Well…" She thought furiously for something she remembered that might have a semblance of relevance. "I think she'd say that at high tide, fish eat ants and at low tide, ants eat fish." Nadine wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't really apply, does it?"

Nikolas smiled thinly. "Not really, but I can appreciate the point about permanence and change."

"Yes, there's always that," she replied sagely, gripping his shoulders and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "But I guess what she would tell me if I was ever disappointed this way would be…by coming and going, a bird weaves its nest. Yeah. That's what she'd say."

He bowed his head when she squeezed his shoulders again. "Don't give up hope, Nikolas. Fight this. There _will_ be answers. I'm just so sorry that we wasted our trip to the city and came back without any."

"Well…" He reached up and closed his hand over hers. "I can't say we wasted it. You got out of this town for a while, and I think you needed that. So did I, for that matter."

"We took that walk through Central Park at sunrise," Nadine smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chin on his shoulder. "And we caught that horse-drawn carriage and took it around town. And the hotel was just gorgeous…"

"And you saw your first Broadway musical," Nikolas smiled, turning so that his cheek brushed against hers. "See? It wasn't a total waste. We had fun."

Nadine kissed his rough cheek and, giving him one last squeeze, straightened. "Yeah, we had fun. _You _had fun, which was something I was beginning to doubt I'd see again."

"I'm going to take Spencer there one last time," Nikolas murmured, his eyes dimming at the sobering thought. "Alfred, too. I want Spencer to spend as much time as he can with Alfred. I want him to get used to him always being around…"

She knew exactly what he was saying, but Nadine didn't want to hear any talk of drawing up custody papers. "I'm sure you and Spencer will have fun when you go…and I'm sure this first time won't be your last."

* * *

Nadine rubbed her eyes wearily as she shuffled back to the hub. It was her first day back after they'd gotten home from the city last night, and she should have taken it off. She was tired, she was depressed, and she was preoccupied with thoughts of Nikolas's condition. She certainly wasn't much good around these halls. Elizabeth had already had to cover for her twice, Ms. Sneed had been in her face for an incorrect notation on a patient's chart, and Epiphany had just about bitten her head off.

The kids in Pedes were godsends today. They cheered her up the way few people could, swarming all over her and giving her hugs and kisses when she walked into the play area. She spent as much time as she could with them today, reading stories, putting on puppet shows, singing lullabies, and giving piggyback rides.

But the whole time, she couldn't help but look at those kids and think of Spencer, or even Nikolas as a boy. There was so much out of their control. Spencer might become an orphan later in the year if they didn't find out how to save Nikolas's life. And Nikolas…the noble, fair, generous Prince of Spoon Island. He lost his father, he lost his mother, he lost the mother of his child, he lost the love of his life…and now he might very well lose his own life.

Life, now there was a trip.

"Oh, Life, you would," Nadine grumbled under her breath. It was something her Aunt Rayleen used to say when she received that extra bill she hadn't planned on, when one of her girls broke a bone the week after their health insurance policy lapsed, when she was rear-ended on the one trip she made to town each week while she was in between car insurance providers.

Jason and Elizabeth were at the hub, talking quietly about something, and both looked up with matching guilty looks when she hopped on up. But Nadine hardly even noticed them, far too preoccupied with thoughts of Nikolas and of life being short and unfair and miserable to pick up on the 'shoot, we shouldn't be seen in public' vibes they were giving off.

Any way she looked at it, it was true: Life _was _short and unfair and miserable. For everyone, it seemed. No matter how great a family you had, no matter how many kids, no matter how much money (and really, growing up in a working class home in rural Ohio taught her that despite all thoughts to the contrary, money was the least secure guarantor of happiness) life was still miserable in its own way.

She hated when she got like this, absolutely hated when she started dwelling on the dark side. She tried so hard not to go there when Aunt Rayleen died and when Jolene suffered her breakdown. It hadn't been easy, but she made it through losing the two most important women in her life.

And that was why the situation with Nikolas was just like a knife to the gut: it brought back all of her anger, all of her grief, all of her desire to scream, "this isn't fair" from the damn rooftops, just like when Aunt Rayleen died and Jolene went away.

The only way to avoid that dark path was to think about the things that she could do, the things that still remained in her control. She could continue to work with Patrick and Ian, offer her help, however inconsequential it might be, as they searched for answers. She could spend time with Nikolas and Spencer, who truly was just the most beautiful little boy, and she would be the best friend that she could possibly be.

* * *

Johnny stepped off the elevator and immediately locked eyes with Jason Morgan. The enforcer was standing by the hub, leaning against it, really, and talking quietly with Elizabeth Webber. As soon as they saw each other, though, Jason straightened, said a few last words to the nurse, and moved off.

Nadine was also at the hub, and he took a minute to just watch her. She was tired. He picked that up almost immediately. But it wasn't the kind of tired that implied she hadn't gotten enough rest the night before. He knew Nadine; even if he was running on three hours' worth of sleep, she made sure she was as energetic and cheerful as always, even if that meant taking her morning coffee intravenously.

No, it was the kind of tired that just emanated through her. Her shoulders were slumped, her movements were listless, her head was bowed and her eyes were dull and heavy-lidded, not bright and alert as usual. She looked so dejected standing there, going through her paperwork, that Johnny just couldn't stand it.

He walked up to where she stood and rapped his knuckles on the countertop, and smiled tightly when she snapped to attention. Finally, a reaction. "Hey."

Nadine blinked a couple times and finally set down her pen. "Hi."

"I, uh…" He had tried to have this conversation with her numerous times before and never seemed to get it right. "I want to talk to you about that night, and I just want you to stand there and listen. No talking, no protesting, no running away."

She remained still, her spine rigid and ramrod straight, and he took that as a sign to continue.

"Okay." He exhaled slowly and folded his hands together on the counter. He'd rehearsed this in his head and now that she'd agreed to just listen to him, he was going to lay it all out there. "I really meant it when I said I missed you. And I-"

"I'm going to break your rule here for a second," Nadine interrupted quietly, "and say that I meant it when I told you I understood. Because I really do. And I don't need you to do this. I don't want you to feel like you're in the wrong here, or that you have to jump through hoops for me or something like that. Because, really, you don't."

"But-"

"Look." She laid her hands flat on the binder in front of her and looked him directly in the eyes. "I understand that all this time, you were keeping me a secret from Lulu. You figured it was the only way you could keep her happy and be friends with me. You wanted to have your cake and eat it, too, although that's a stupid thing to say because if you have cake, why wouldn't you eat it? You should eat it, if you have it, because there are people out there that don't have it."

As Reivers would have put it, Nadine was sending him on a mental rollercoaster ride, and Johnny tried to clear his thoughts. "But-"

"What upset me, truly, was that I thought we were actually becoming good friends." She bit her lip and forced herself to continue. "I mean, we were talking about things. We were sharing things. I told you about Jolene and my Aunt Rayleen, you told me about Claudia and your mom. We were sharing things that you only share with friends, people that you trust, and all the time, it was a lie. Well, not a lie, really, but a half-truth. Yeah, a half-truth."

"What was I supposed to do?" His dark eyes glittered and the corners of his mouth tightened, for the first time, with true frustration. "What would you have had me do?"

"That's not my problem," she told him honestly and without a hint of malice. They were getting looks now from some of the orderlies and the nurses despite the way Elizabeth threw her patented "you best back off" glares around. "But I won't be made to feel like 'the other woman' and look like a boyfriend-stealing bitch because that is _not_ who I am. I don't need the drama in my life, Johnny. I'm sorry, but I can't handle it. I was right about us staying away from each other because obviously, Lulu can't handle it and – oh."

Johnny cringed, knowing from the look on her face that his girlfriend was standing right behind him. She had a damned annoying habit of doing that.

Lulu Spencer planted a hand on her hip and glared at the nurse. "_Excuse _me?"

For once, Nadine wasn't ready to take the high road. "Oh, I wish. You've been an insecure twit from the first day, and for no reason. Plus, you've proven just how childish you really are by repeatedly attacking me at the place where I work. Just because you can't hold a job for longer than the lifespan of a fruit fly doesn't mean that everyone's as unproductive as you are!"

"You have some nerve, you know that? You've been after Johnny since he saved your life that day on the docks-"

"When I was looking for _your_ brother because you can't be bothered to even pretend you care about him!"

"Don't talk to me about my brother!" Lulu snapped. "I heard you went to New York City with him recently. How'd that go? You put the moves on him, too? Gotta have a back-up plan."

"Enough!" Johnny put up his hands and stepped between the two women before the situation could get any more out of hand. People were staring now, and making no secret of it, and Elizabeth Webber looked prepared to drag Nadine off by her hair if that was the only way to diffuse the situation.

"I am going to say this slowly and softly and there will be no room for argument." He glared at both women, daring them to challenge him. "Both of you, back off. This is a bad situation and we've all made it worse, me probably more than anyone. So, fine. I'll talk now. Lulu, I'm sorry I lied to you about Nadine. And Nadine, I'm sorry I lied to you about Lulu."

A friend of one of Elizabeth's patients, who was currently standing by the nurse at the hub hoping for an update, grinned wolfishly and jutted his chin out at Johnny. "That guy is such a stud. Working two girls that look like _that_? Niiiiice."

Elizabeth spared him a bland look and waved him away from her workstation. "Greg will be back from his tests in about ten minutes. You can go wait in his room. Two-oh-three, on your left."

Johnny glared as the young man slipped off, then turned his attention back to the two fuming blondes he had unfortunately managed to simultaneously upset. He was sure that the medal was in the mail.

"Nadine and I are friends," he emphasized as the woman in question tilted her chin up defiantly. "That's all we are, and you're going to have to deal with it just like I deal with the fact that you're friends with Milo and Spinelli, and that your ex-boyfriend is still your comatose buddy."

Lulu's jaw dropped. "That's completely different!"

"I don't care," he snapped. "Deal with it. And you can stop harassing Nadine about it, too."

He looked at his friend one last time, a little too worked up to be relieved at the softened look in her eyes, and then turned to Lulu and tipped his head toward the elevator. "And if you want a ride home, we're leaving _now."_

Lulu scowled at Nadine but let Johnny drag her away, and it was only when the doors closed in front of them that she let out the little breath she'd been holding. Elizabeth came up behind her as the orderlies and nurses went back to work and dropped a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank goodness that's sorted out, huh?"

The corner of her mouth twitched. "Yeah."

Johnny had said everything that she hadn't even realized she'd been hoping he'd say. It was amazing. All this time, she was ready to never see him again and move on from their friendship completely, and he had to go and say that and she was well on her way to being appeased.

After all, she thought, remembering her previous musings about Nikolas and her aunt, maybe she shouldn't expect too much of Johnny right now. Claudia told her once that this was the first time he had to deal with something like this, and he was probably just learning and trying to do the best he could.

She flashed Elizabeth one last, grateful smile when the nurse squeezed her shoulder, then headed back to the Pediatrics Wing.

* * *

_The next day…_

"Hey, you!" Nadine had managed to finagle the door open with her elbow and was now pushing it open with her bottom, trying to maintain her hold on the objects she carried. "I found all these tube socks and this super crafts kit, so today you get to help me make customized hand puppets for Pedes. I'm thinking we have to make a Blackadder one – you know, large nose, effeminate hairstyle, all that good stuff. My British accent is as good as it'll ever get, so it's a crime that I don't have a Rowan-Atkinson-character to use with it, don't you think? And! You can make the Prince Regent. I think it's only fitting. I brought lots of sequins just for that."

Nikolas set down his book on an end table and looked up at her seriously as she babbled on, proudly presenting the goods she'd brought to show him. "Are you in love with Johnny Zacchara?"

She stopped and stared at him, not realizing her jaw had dropped until a few seconds passed. "Uh…"

The prince folded his hands in his lap and waited patiently.

"It's…" She tripped over her words and they came out jumbled. "It's personal."

He arched a brow superciliously at her, and she failed to detect just the faintest glimmer of amusement that passed through his dark brown eyes. "So's Emily, but that doesn't stop you from asking about her."

Nadine set her cargo down on the coffee table by the television and spared him a wry look. "You've been talking to your sister, huh?"

"Those were Lulu's words," Nikolas admitted, "and they weren't exactly phrased as a question, if you understand my point. Now I want to hear your words."

Sighing, she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. She didn't like interrogations, but Nikolas had a good point. She'd subjected him to his fair share of interrogations, wanting to know all about Emily and how he met her and their life together. And she knew that of all the people that would and did question her about her relationship with Johnny, Nikolas was the one that did it with the least amount of malice and suspicion. Although disapproval certainly wasn't out of the question.

"I'm not in love with him," she finally said, meeting his sober gaze. "But I love having him as a friend."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "That's exactly what I told Lulu. She wasn't too inclined to believe me, I don't think. It's why I wanted to ask you about Johnny instead – it would get me farther than asking her about you."

"The thing about Johnny…" Nadine swept her bangs off her face and began to pace the length of the recreation area of the suite. "It feels like it's one step forward and one step backward with him, you know? First we were friends, just goofing around, and then Lulu busted him so we stayed apart. Then he said he missed me, so I was back in again and we were hanging out a lot and sharing stories and – and other things, stupid gifts, really, back and forth, and then Lulu busted him again and it's just…"

She shook her head, still pacing as Nikolas watched. "His sister told me that he's never really had any time or room in his life for girls before. He's never had a girlfriend nor has he had a girl friend, if that makes sense. And now he has both and he doesn't really know how to make it work. He thinks – I think this is what he thinks – that he has to choose between him, which is definitely what Lulu wants, but I don't want him to feel that way. Granted, I'll probably lose that competition anyway because he's with her, but that's not why I'm saying that.

"He's a good man," she told him seriously. "He's just trying to figure things out on his own and I want to help him out as much as I can. But if he needs me to just stand back and let him alone so he can work through everything, then I can do that, too."

She was pacing rapidly now, back and forth, back and forth, her movements as intense and the sentiment that drove them. "Because this isn't about me or Lulu or anything even close to that. This is about Johnny _finally_ moving away from the shadow of his father and being free and – and unafraid to be his own person, you know? It's what he wants more than anything, to be seen as something other than Crazy Anthony Zacchara's son, Johnny the Bad Boy."

Nadine stopped abruptly in front of him, slightly out of breath and her cheeks flushing, and looked at him for some kind of response or reaction.

Nikolas found himself lacking words as he stared up at her, lips parted in surprise, an expression akin to wonder as comprehension dawned.

"Wow."

Nadine cocked a brow at him. "What?"

He leaned back in his chair and tilted his head just so. "You really are in love with him."


	36. 35

**The Right Girl 35**

"You really are in love with him."

She stared at him in shock for a good few seconds until her brain kicked in, and that was when the words just came tumbling out one after another. Apparently, one of the symptoms of denial was verbal diarrhea. Someone ought to have added that in all those sociology textbooks she had to read in college.

"I do not love him! What I feel for Johnny is a very deep, abiding, friendship kind of love and I think that any attempt on your part to – to intensify that and make it out to be more than what it is, is an affront against my character as a person who goes around trolling for men that aren't available and I take exception to the fact that-"

Nikolas held up his hands in surrender, laughing despite himself as she sputtered on. "It's okay."

Nadine stopped, her finger still poised in the air, and stared at him some more. He took this as a sign that he could speak.

"It's okay," he repeated gently. "Everyone deserves love.

"And it's messy and complicated and scary and hurtful," he added when she opened her mouth, presumably to squawk at him some more, "but it's still worth it. My sister…she has a hard time deciding between men. Personally, I think it's Luke's fault. When she was growing up, he made her feel that there was something wrong with her, that she did something and so wasn't deserving of his love and attention. Now, whenever a man shows interest in her, she wants to keep him around and confuses all that with romantic feelings, and then she suddenly has to choose and she doesn't know what to do."

He sighed and thumped his cane on the ground as Nadine seemed to relent to his speech-giving tendencies. "…I'm not sure if she's even really in love with Johnny like she says, or just in love with the idea that he's in love with her…or in love with the idea of him. I don't know, only Lulu knows that for sure."

His eyes glimmered, growing distant and soft, and Nikolas rested his head against the back of his lounge chair. "Emily…she was never in love with the idea of me being a prince. She believed me when I told her that I was nothing more than a businessman with a title. She wasn't caught up in all the royal trappings of my life; none of it really impressed her the way it would have other people. She loved every last part of me, and I think that Lulu is still too young and just a little too selfish to love every last part of anyone."

She licked her lips and looked away, well past feeling uncomfortable, but he forced her to meet his gaze when he spoke again. "Nadine. I don't often dispense advice. In fact, I only do so if there's no other way out of the conversation, when people seek me out for my opinion. So if I'm saying this to you, please bear that in mind and recognize the importance of the sentiments behind this."

His dark eyes bore into hers, and Nadine tried not to fidget under the penetrating stare. "You need to stop being such a wall flower, Nadine. I know you think you're not, that you're outgoing and talkative and cheerful, and that all that should be enough, but I've realized that you put forth that image superficially. As soon as things become a little too real, a little too close to home, you draw back into your shell. And I don't blame you for that, and I only consider myself lucky that you allow me to speak with you so frankly without making tracks out of here."

Nadine managed a smile, and Nikolas forged on. "You need to reach out and take what you want. Stop thinking about everyone else at the expense of yourself because that will just leave you empty. Trust me. I tell Elizabeth the same thing whenever she comes to me to vent," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

"You'll just be alone and resentful and that's the last thing that a person like you deserves." His voice was low but firm, and it brought tears to Nadine's eyes when she realized just how much he cared. "You are so kind and so gentle, and you feel so deeply, and you have so much to give. You should let yourself take, too. Emily reached out and followed her dreams and took what she really wanted, and it was because of her bravery that we spent the happiest years of our lives together, even when I was too stupid to see what was right in front of me."

* * *

Nikolas's words repeated through her head all day, always there, always making her stop and think. It was true, what he said: she was kind of a wallflower. But Nadine like to think that she was getting better at that. After all, she was becoming closer friends with Elizabeth and Kelly and Leyla, and while they still went out for the occasional Girls' Night Out at Jake's, they went to Kelly's for lunch together sometimes if they all had the same timings, and once she and Kelly had hung out at Leyla's pad and ordered in ribs for Eli's, and that was pretty fun.

She was getting there. Slowly but surely, she was getting there. And she was really seeing the importance of having girl friends, people to commiserate with and share with and, of course, bitch with. And even before listening to what Nikolas had to say on the subject, she had been thinking about how nice it would be to have another, a more 'significant' person, in her life as well.

The fact that the aforementioned 'significant' other person could be Johnny still terrified her, but it was something she could no longer ignore.

"So, what do you think, Jack?" She jostled the three-year-old sitting on her shoulders as she gave him a ride back to the children's wing. He had his hands clasped around her forehead and his ankles were secure in her grip, and the child was enjoying his lofty perch. "Do you think I need to put myself out there more?"

"Yes," the boy responded resolutely.

"And I should start being more selfish?"

"Yes."

"And I should reach out and just take what I want? Be brave?"

"Yes!"

She passed Ian and Claudia in the little lounge area, smiling when the older woman gave her a strange look. She was more than used to Claudia's quizzical, vaguely derisive looks.

"So you think I should call Johnny and ask him if he wants to hang out?"

"…Who's Johnny? Is he your friend? Who was that lady? She looks like a witch. Why was she looking at you? Can I have pudding?"

She chuckled and shook his ankles back and forth, making the boy squeal with laughter. "That's what I thought."

* * *

"_I need your help."_

It took him a second to get over the fact that it was the initials "NC" that flashed on his LCD screen when he picked up his phone, but the shock of actually hearing her voice – and her having called him willingly after ignoring him all this time – was something else entirely.

"Nadine?"

He must have sounded like an idiot, croaking her name out like that, but thankfully that didn't seem to faze the woman on the other end.

"_Yeah, it's me. I need something and you're the best man for the job."_

There was something vaguely lascivious about the way she said that, but Johnny tried to ignore that. He leaned back in his chair and closed his journal, still keeping the pen linked between his fingers. "Sure. Anything I can do, name it."

"_Okay."_ He heard her take a deep breath and then heard a _whoosh_, making him think that she was on the hospital roof during one of her breaks. It made him flash back to the night they sat up there with their cocoa and cookies and her nestled against his side, and he liked the idea that she was back up there.

"_I want to do something absolutely crazy and reckless and unbelievably fun tonight."_

Johnny sputtered despite himself and switched the phone to his other ear. The last time a girl had said that, she meant it as a pick up line, and the 'something absolutely crazy and reckless and unbelievably fun' was sexual intercourse. With him.

"Um…okay. How do I fit into this?"

He could hear her laugh as another gust blew by. _"Because I figure you're the authority on good, crazy fun. And I want to have that tonight. Just a little. Just to feel alive. And you have to surprise me."_

She laughed again and hung up, and Johnny held his phone to his ear as the dial tone sounded, a slow, wicked smile making his lips curl.

* * *

"Parked illegally?" she teased, trotting out of the hospital and toward the Fire Zone where he was idling at the moment. "You know, in the spirit of tonight, I'm not even going to scold you for it. Oooh…"

He watched proudly as she neared the car, hesitantly reaching out to touch it, and when she looked up her eyes were glittering with excitement. "You got a new car?"

"A little gift for myself," he confided, shifting into park and hopping over the door so that he stood right next to her. "You like it?"

"It's a freaking F&M Antas GT!" Nadine exclaimed. "Eight cylinders! I _love _it!"

She never ceased to surprise him. "You – actually know what this is?"

What kind of girl had the words _Faralli & Mazanti Antas V8 GT _floating around in her head? Well, other than his sister, of course, but Claudia was another breed of woman entirely.

"Sure, I do," Nadine replied proudly, circling the front to admire the roadster. "First showed up in Monaco in 2006. Amazing, amazing car. People complain about the obscure window design and the fact that it has two seats, but, come on, what else do you expect of a high-class roadster like this one? Geez, know your subject before you try to tear it down."

He was still staring at her as if she'd sprouted a second head, but the realization that Nadine Crowell was always full of surprises like this was slowly dawning. "How are you so familiar with these?"

"Well, I used to be something of a car nut," she admitted. "Back when I still lived in the country. We had this dirt racetrack about an hour away from where we lived, and sometimes Aunt Rayleen would let me go out there with some of the local boys. They'd race all day on the track and let me do it, too. It was a ton of fun, going that fast, taking all those curves."

Her eyes lit up and she spun around to face him. "Oh, my gosh, is that what we're doing tonight?"

Johnny grinned back and walked over, taking her messenger bag from her. "Somehow, I thought you'd enjoy a scenic drive along Cliff Road. A scenic, _dangerously_ fast drive."

She laughed and watched him toss her bag and windbreaker into the trunk. "I can't wait. It's just perfect. I'm fine like this, aren't I? Do you want me to take my shoes off before getting in, or-"

"You're fine as you are," he assured her. "Except…"

Nadine's eyes widened when he took a step closer to her, towering above her so that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. A flicker of something she couldn't place – amusement, danger, something vaguely predatory that made her feel warm all over – passed through his dark eyes and he tipped his chin down so that their noses almost brushed. He was so close that she could smell him, and Nadine was altogether unprepared for the heady scent of aftershave, mint, soap and something that couldn't be placed, something earthy and raw and hot and just so uniquely him.

His eyes still glittered as he reached behind her, and Nadine had absolutely no idea what was going on until she felt him grasp the base of her ponytail and then pull the band off with the other hand. Her blonde waves tumbled out over his hands and he took a minute to untangle his fingers, a slow smirk making the corner of his mouth twitch, and finally held up the band in front of her face.

"Now you're ready," he grinned.

* * *

She was free.

She was zooming down the Cliff Road at speeds upward of a hundred miles an hour, her hair blowing in the wind, speech impossible, her hands up to feel the speed and power of the car, and she was completely free.

Johnny handled the curve easily with one hand at the twelve o'clock mark of the wheel, the other resting casually on his thigh. He was grinning as he listened to her squeal and scream and whoop it up, and he occasionally drove on the wrong side of the road and swerved out of the way of an oncoming vehicle in the nick of time, just to make her shriek and grab his arm.

This went against everything she had been ever since she came to Port Charles. She was the sweet, docile, play-it-safe nurse – she had no business engaging in vehicular shenanigans on a dark midsummer night with the local bad boy…and enjoying every single reckless minute of it.

The mountains were gorgeous, practically bleeding into the indigo sky. The moon made their jagged outline visible and made the ocean waves glitter as if scattered with diamonds. The air was clean and invigorating, and the only sound she heard was the power of the wind as they tore down the country highway. It was pretty enough to make her want to live in this moment forever.

There was something so devastatingly beautiful about Johnny in this moment, too. He was relaxed, he was smiling, he was fully in control despite the recklessness of their stunt. He didn't mind at all as the wind whipped through his dark hair, and she knew he took enjoyment in her enjoyment, being happy vicariously through her. And every so often he'd shift in his seat, thrusting his hips forward just a little, but enough to make her glad she could at least pretend that the color in her cheeks was due to the force of the wind and their breathtaking speed.

He looked over at her, his eyes practically dancing, and grinned when he saw that her arms were in the air, her head tilted back, and her eyes blissfully closed. "You wanna drive?"

Nadine's lashes fluttered and she looked over at him, fairly certain she'd heard him say something. "WHAT?"

"I SAID, YOU WANNA DRIVE?" he asked, pointing to the wheel for good measure.

She yanked her hands down into her lap and stared at him. "I can't. I'm not insured on this car."

The pure logic and reason in her reply was enough to make Johnny burst out laughing, the guffaws whipped back with the wind, and his shoulders were still shaking when she reached out and affectionately swatted his stomach with the back of her hand.

"Oh, come on," she huffed, tilting her head back and once again raising her arms. "I'm not – I'M NOT THAT CRAZY!"

He spotted the last exit that would take them back to Port Charles after nearly an hour of driving, the one for South Ocean Shore Drive. "You wanna – YOU WANNA TAKE IT OUT OF TOWN?"

His question was an intriguing one, and oh-so-attractive. Being out of Port Charles, someplace new and far away with nothing but the junk in her bag and him…but it also raised concerns as far as money, lodging, tardiness the following morning, and, of course, spending the night with Johnny Zacchara.

Nadine flashed him a little smile and set her hand on his thigh just to make sure he knew she was speaking. "Like I said, I'm not that crazy yet."

He nodded back with a small smile of her own, and dropped forty miles per hour in order to take the exit ramp a mere fifty miles over the recommended ramp limit.

* * *

"Here we are." He turned the car off and hopped over the door to retrieve her things from the trunk. He didn't want the night to end, but it was late and she had work tomorrow. He handed the bag and jacket off and smiled down at her.

Nadine took her things and then, just when he thought she'd say goodnight and scamper up to her apartment, took a big step forward, rose up on her toes, cupped his cheek, and pressed a kiss to his jaw.

"Thanks for tonight," she said, gazing up at him with bottomless eyes, and Johnny felt about ten feet tall when he saw the satisfaction and fulfillment there. "It was just what I needed. You're a darn good friend, you know that?"

She turned on her heel and hopped up onto the sidewalk. "Night, Zacchara. Don't be a stranger."

He stood in the street and watched her climb up the steps, and remained there for a minute even after she'd disappeared into the lobby. And then, fishing the keys out of his pocket, he walked slowly around to the driver's side door and hopped in. Vainly, he hoped that being able to balance Lulu and Nadine in his life would be as easy as tonight felt.


	37. 36

**Note – **Thanks to all my readers for the feedback. And I can't believe Calla's back…or reading this. :-P I'm slow to overcome shock. Also for Mels. I owe you banners.

**The Right Girl 36**

_Two weeks later…_

The Nurse's Ball was coming up and, in keeping with a decade-long tradition, Elizabeth Webber designed the annual t-shirts for the crew. Nadine already had hers – a commemorative keepsake of her first real hospital function, and the fundraising dinner the week before hadn't counted – and she was really looking forward to attending. She had been thinking about what to wear and had finally settled on a black gown she had somewhere in the back of her closet. It was super old, but no one in Port Charles had ever seen her in it, so she figured it was fine.

Still, she found herself walking into the MetroCourt boutique, eyes peeled for that one green dress that she had her eye on for the past few weeks, hoping that no one had snatched it up yet. Not that she could afford it anyway, but it was the principle of the matter.

But the first thing she saw when she walked into the trendy boutique was decidedly _not_ her beautiful green dress but instead a beautiful black dress…wrapped around none other than Claudia Zacchara.

Johnny's sister was standing in front of the three-fold mirrors on a little pedestal, hands planted on her hips, turning this way and that to get the best view of her tall, athletic body in the elegant gown, and she caught Nadine's surprised gaze in the mirror and addressed her without turning.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have small, whiny children to poke with needles?"

She smiled and walked through the store, past the frenzied shop girls pulling out the finest couture red and black gowns the boutique had to offer. She had no doubt who had sent them out to do her bidding in that manner. "I could ask you the same thing – shouldn't you be hanging by your feet in a cave somewhere and sleeping until dusk?"

The older woman grinned. "My secret's out. But seriously, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the day. I'm only here because I had to get a dress altered, and the tailors at the boutique are much better than the clearly blind and arthritic dullards in Crimson Pointe."

Nadine adjusted her grip on her tote and looked around the practically empty store. "Well, I'm pulling a double shift at the hospital today and I've got about an hour and a half until the next one starts. I already ate lunch – it doesn't take me long, I don't get why some people complain about not getting a full hour for that – so I have all this time left over and I was like-"

"Didn't ask for you life story," Claudia interrupted, snapping her finger for a shop girl that quickly scurried over. "You. I don't like this one. Give me the one you've got on your arm."

She took the dress from the girl and draped it over her arm, then tipped her head at Nadine as she hopped off the pedestal and headed for the dressing room. "Follow."

Well used to terse directives, Nadine did as she was told. "And anyway, I had all this time left over-"

Claudia groaned at the incessant babble and was much relieved to disappear behind the safety of a fitting room door. "Yeah, yeah."

Nadine leaned against the partition and waited patiently. "-And I was already at the little restaurant across the street – did you know that they make the absolute best calzones? I had spinach and pineapple and jalapenos and bell peppers in mine, and it was amazing. And I'm pretty sure the secret ingredients in their marinara sauce are love and hugs."

The door opened a few inches and Claudia, dressed now in bra and panties with her black Glock resting on the seat behind her, shoved a designer gown into Nadine's hands. "Tell someone to put that back."

She straightened the gown and draped it over her arm to prevent wrinkling as Claudia slammed the door shut, then headed over to a nearby rack and tossed it over the bar. "So since I was in the area, I thought I'd come to the boutique and look around. They have the prettiest stuff, and the Nurse's Ball is coming up, so I thought it'd be fun to just come and look around. I mean, I already have my dress, and it's this long black one with a really nice drape, and the last time I wore it was my celebratory dinner when I graduated from nursing school, but no one here's seen me in it ever, so I figure I'm safe until next year's ball, but I'll have time to scrimp and save for a pretty dress until then, so it's all good."

Claudia blew out of the stall, dressed now in a dark burgundy dress accented with silver crystals, and headed out to the three-fold mirror again, leaving Nadine with no choice but to follow.

"I can't believe I'm actually considering buying off the rack," she grumbled, hopping up onto the pedestal and studying her reflection. "Huh. Not bad. I was iffy on the color."

"It kind of washes you out," came a bored voice from behind them, and both women looked in the mirror to see Maxie Jones's reflection as she presented her ticket and receipt to a shop girl that went to retrieve her altered dress. With that business taken care of, she turned her full attention to the two women.

"It's a nice dress," she said, "but you've got such pale skin and such dark hair that the color washes you out and makes it look like you glow in the dark. Either go tanning, or use a really warm foundation. Swirl a golden bronzer on after you put on your blush, and you should be fine."

Claudia scowled and Nadine winced, knowing she wouldn't like what was sure to happen next. "What are you, a shop girl, or something? Did I ask for opinion?"

Her biting remarks didn't faze Maxie in the least. "I'm not anymore, but I used to work here for a while. Now I'm the Chief Executive Assistant for a fashion magazine. The title doesn't really mean anything, it's pretty much made up, but it does mean that I get to look at all the new lines and help supervise photo shoots and that's where I picked up a bunch of new make up tips. Like I said, warm foundation and gold bronzer over your blush. It'll highlight your cheekbones."

Nadine looked warily up at Claudia, scarcely daring to hope that the older woman wouldn't cause a scene. It didn't take much to set Claudia off – really, she should look into anger management classes or something – and she was the sort of woman that didn't really care that much about where she let her temper loose.

But Claudia just sniffed and looked back at her reflection. "What do you think of this dress?"

Now posed with an actual question, Maxie pushed herself away from the counter and walked on over to the mirror. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, walking around Claudia as if she were a prize hound at the fair (which Nadine was sure wasn't going to go over well) and spoke up just before Claudia lost her patience with her.

"Aside from the color, which we've already talked about, I think it's a great dress for you. It's strapless, which draws attention to the fact that you're toned and you have a tiny waist and really nice boobs."

Nadine choked on her saliva. Her plight went ignored.

"The drape is what I really like about it. You're tall, and the way the waist is stitched along with the super gentle pleating in the bodice makes it look like your legs go on forever. I would suggest, though…have it altered a bit."

Claudia arched a brow. "What?"

"Here." Maxie came up next to her and pinched the fabric in around Claudia's lower ribs. "Just a little, and right here. It makes you look sleeker and brings out your curves. And like I said, you're tall and thin so you face an uphill battle with curviness anyway. Hey, I'm the same way," she added when the older woman glared at her. "I'm all small and skinny. I'm built like a stick. But this way, we can play it up a bit."

"Stop touching me."

Maxie let go and the fabric fell back in place. As Claudia continued to reflect on her reflection, she turned to Nadine. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you here. I didn't even think you knew where this place was. What are you doing here?"

"The eternal question pops up yet again," Claudia murmured with a smirk, now pinching the fabric at her ribs just as Maxie had done earlier.

Nadine was used to both of their brands of abuse and didn't take offense. "I just came by to look around."

"Are you buying a dress for the Nurse's Ball?" Maxie asked excitedly. "Have you picked one out yet? Oh! Oh! Can I pick one out for you? I swear, I'm so good at this sort of thing. And I promise I won't dress you in feathers and old newspapers and call it the latest in couture. I did that to Carly once and she practically had a meltdown. It was so awesome."

Claudia let out a laugh at the visual, and Nadine shrugged in reply. "I'm not really looking. I mean, I have a dress and everything…"

"And you sound just thrilled about it," Maxie noted drolly, arching a brow just so.

She shrugged again. "I don't know, sometimes I just come to the boutique to try on this one green dress I've kinda sorta had my eye on. It's just the prettiest emerald green color. So I come in, I put it on, I pretend like I'm going to buy it and, I don't know, it's kind of a pick me up."

Claudia let out a snort. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Nadine looked away and scuffed her toe on the carpet. "Yeah."

"…So try it on."

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Try it on," Claudia repeated without removing her gaze from the mirror where she was so busily admiring herself. "I wanna see what kind of taste you have. Oh, and if there are polka-dots? Or ruffles? I _will_ make fun of you. Loudly and publicly. And repeatedly."

"Yeah, go try it on," Maxie agreed, not noticing that her dress was ready until the shop girl tapped her on the shoulder. "Ooh, they're done with mine. Sweet."

"If I try mine on, you have to try yours on," Nadine announced, grabbing her elbow. "Come on. We'll be back in a minute."

"Whatever," Claudia replied, waving over the shop girl. "You. Come here. Take notes. I want this dress, and I want it taken in just this much, right here and here. Nowhere else, and just this much. You got that? I'll leave it with you when I leave, and I'll be back in two hours. I expect it to be ready as soon as I walk in through the door."

"Yes, of course, Miss Zacchara, it absolutely will be."

"So you don't get your fill abusing the staff at Crimson Manor, huh?" came an amused voice from behind her, and Claudia turned to see her little brother smirking. "You had to turn to outsourcing as a way to find fresh victims."

She grinned and threw her hands up in the air. "Hey, I know what I like. And that's abusing subordinates. What are you doing here?"

"I was in town and have some time to kill, and I saw your car outside."

"So you were bored and wanted to engage in sibling shenanigans?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not really. I just, uh, wanted to see if you'd eaten already or if you wanted to go get lunch."

"Vacuum Girl unavailable?"

"She wasn't at the hosp-" He stopped and glared at her. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything," she replied, turning around on the pedestal once more so that her back was toward him. "And if you're going to be so snippy, I'm not sure I want to break bread with you."

"You buying a dress? I thought you already had one for the ball."

"But I like this one."

"But you already have one."

"But I like this one."

He sighed and shook his head, vowing that he would never understand women and their affinity to pretty but useless things. "Fine. Whatever. If you're done shopping, can we go?"

"Not done yet."

"But you told the girl that you were going to buy the dress."

"Not done yet," Claudia repeated mysteriously, and Johnny would have demanded that she drop the subtext and tell him why he had to stick around in a room full of frilly, lacy things when a petite blonde emerged from the dressing room clad in a sleek black dress with a wide hem that swished as she walked.

Maxie quirked a curious look at Johnny but didn't address him, instead looking pointedly up at Claudia. When the woman didn't hop off the pedestal, Maxie shrugged and sashayed up toward the mirror and in front of the pedestal, blocking Claudia's view her herself, and did a little twirl.

"I look damn good," she announced. "Allie? Tell Cecily she's a genius with that needle."

Johnny stared at Maxie, who admittedly _did_ look damn good in that dress, and then up at his sister, quirking a brow as if to ask, _since when are you shopping buddies with her?_ Claudia was a little too preoccupied with the fact that Maxie was blocking her pretty burgundy dress from view to care.

"You weren't kidding about the built like a stick part."

Maxie's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't have the shoulders of a 49er."

Claudia's lips thinned in reply as Johnny tried not to smirk. "You have mosquito-bite breasts."

She tilted her chin up and arched her back defiantly. "My breasts are _fabulous._"

"This is enlightening, really, and thanks for the visual aids," Johnny started, quirking a brow at Maxie in the mirror, "but I'm leaving. Claudie, if you want to do lunch, change in the next two minutes and come with me."

"If I pop out of this thing, one or both of you has to spin it as a wardrobe malfunction so it doesn't ruin my career," came a voice from the dressing area, and they all looked over as Nadine walked in, wearing a silky emerald dress and fiddling with the Swarovski-crystal brooch pinned to the belt just under her breasts.

"Either that, or I should stick a chicken cutlet down my front on each side to keep things kosher." She glanced up as Claudia stepped off the pedestal and gingerly climbed on, not wanting to step on the dress or snag it because if she had to buy it due to damage done, she could forget about making rent this month. "So, what do we – Oh!"

Her eyes lit up and she spun around on the pedestal. "Hey, Johnny, you're about the last person I'd expect to see at the boutique. What are you doing here?"

He tried to answer. God's honest truth, he tried to answer her innocuous question to the best of his ability, but it was very difficult to do so when all he could see was the outline of her lush, curvy body under that exquisite emerald silk. Two teasing straps dipped into a low, _low_ neckline that ended a full inch below her breasts, and a crystal brooch boldly drew further attention to that…_general area_. And it didn't help that she was standing in front of a three-fold mirror, meaning that he got three different but equally tantalizing views of an expanse of creamy skin bared by the backless dress.

Johnny blinked and swallowed, and if he had seen his sister's expression just then, he would have throttled her in full view of exactly seven witnesses. "…Guh."

Maxie smirked and turned to Claudia. "You know, personally, I'm not really feeling the dress," she feigned. "Maybe it looks better from over there."

She moved next to Johnny, crossing her arms across her chest and looking up at Nadine seriously. "Oh, yeah, it's _definitely _much nicer from where he's looking."

Johnny closed his eyes, mentally kicking himself for the visible flub, and took the brief respite from the tempting vision not two yards in front of him to collect his thoughts. "I'm not really here. I saw Claudia's car parked outside and came in to see if she wanted to get something to eat."

There. He'd spoken and the words were actually sensical and strung together logically. He'd never been more proud of himself than he was in that moment, but Johnny's self-confidence was short-lived.

"Turn around," Claudia ordered, keeping one eye on her brother. "Work it a little, I want to see it from all sides."

Nadine did as she was told, not realizing that both women were paying more attention to Johnny than they were to here. She took down the messy bun she always wore at the hospital and shook out her waves, squinting at herself in the mirror. "Well? What's the verdict? Be honest, I can take it."

Claudia's lips thinned as she thought and she finally ordered, "Buy the dress."

"What?" Nadine glanced at her over her shoulder. "I can't do that. I mean, I have been putting away a part of my paycheck every two weeks for a rainy day, but it just feels a little frivolous to spend it on an expensive dress that I'll wear only once or twice to a fancy party. I mean, it's not like my calendar's chock full of galas and events anyway, so it seems kind of wasteful. Especially when I have a perfectly good dress at home."

"This color's better on you," Claudia informed her. "Trust me. I've seen you in black, and it looks okay, but it doesn't do you too many favors. Especially that prudish house marm dress of yours."

Nadine frowned at her. "When have you ever seen me in a black dress? And looking house marm-y? I don't look house marm-"

"In the city." She tipped her head toward her brother. "John and I were both there when you were playing nursemaid to that prince of yours. We all stayed at the same hotel."

Nadine's lips parted in surprise. "We did? I didn't even- well, why didn't you guys come over and say hi? I would have been thrilled to see you."

"It was while you and John were broken up," Claudia told her conspiratorially, causing Maxie to quirk a brow at a chagrined Johnny in blatant interest. "I didn't want to insert myself into your after-school drama and cause any undue teenage angst."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "I still would have been happy to see you," she grumbled. "Okay, so, I'm going to change out of this thing."

"But I told you to buy it."

"I do appreciate your interest, Claudia, but contrary to what you think, I can't make my financial decisions based on your orders," she smiled. "Besides, it's either buy this dress or eat for the next two weeks. And I like to eat. I've heard it's good for me."

She hopped off the pedestal and began putting her hair up in a bun again. "Okay, back in a few. And if I didn't say so earlier – Maxie, you look really cute in that dress. Spinelli seen it yet?"

"Nope," she replied. "Ever since I told him that I got a really killer dress for the ball, he's been wanting to see me in it. I even found him looking through my closet for it once when we were hanging out in my room, so I gave him a choice: either see me in it before the Nurse's Ball or see me out of it afterwards."

Claudia looked like she was going to vomit. "You're actually _with_ that Spinelli kid?"

Maxie cocked a brow in challenge. "Yeah."

"And you let him _touch_ you?" She shuddered, visibly disturbed. "I didn't even think his secondary sexual characteristics developed yet."

"Claudia, come on, he's a nice guy." Nadine looked pointedly at the brunette, who remarkably let it go, and then slipped off. "I'll be right back."

As soon as she was out of earshot, Maxie roughly elbowed Johnny in the arm. "Hey. What a waste, right?"

He wasn't following. And he had no idea why she was being so familiar with him and elbowing him like that. The chick really didn't have any boundaries. "Huh?"

"The whole 'friend' thing," Maxie shrugged, though her eyes glittered mischievously and gave her away. "Me and Spinelli tried that for a while before we hooked up. What a total waste. If you didn't have to abide by that wholesome label, you could cook up a deal similar to ours and peel that dress off with your teeth."

He nearly choked on that, despite the fact that he wasn't consuming anything, but Maxie wasn't done. "But I guess that's what Lulu's for. I'm sure she has a pretty little dress for the ball that doesn't make her look like as big a horsebeast as usual. And, hey, if she really wants to get dolled up, she can have someone braid her mane with little ribbons."

Johnny snarled at her, but Maxie didn't seem to mind. Instead, she had already taken interest in what Claudia was saying to one of the shop girls. She had a short attention span, after all.

"-tell her that it was marked down fifteen-percent, and sell it to her at the discount price," Claudia said. "And put the extra fifteen on my bill when I come pick up my dress this afternoon."

"Of course, Miss Zacchara, consider it done."

Maxie smirked as the girl drew away. "You know, that was almost nice. What you did for Nadine just now, I mean."

Claudia spun around, looking guilty at having been caught in the act…of niceness. "I didn't do it for Vacuum Girl. I did it to screw around with my kid brother. That's worth fifteen-percent of whatever that green curtain she was wearing costs. Hell…Make it twenty-five percent!"

The shop girl nodded and clicked a few numbers out at the register as Johnny rolled his eyes. One of these days, he was going to kill his sister. And it would be damn fun.

Nadine emerged from the dressing room in her blue jeans and t-shirt, the gown slung over her arm. "Okay, I'm ready to go. Maxie, you wanna head out together?"

"Sure," she replied sprightly. "But you have to buy that dress first."

Nadine spared her a weary look. "Not you, too. I already told you guys, it's either get this thing or-"

"Or eat this week," Claudia snorted. "Yeah, we're well aware of your bean-counting."

"I just talked to Allie and she said that she saw the dress you were trying on and to tell you that it's marked down twenty-five percent," Maxie interjected, smiling when Nadine's eyes lit up. "And that she just forgot to mark it down because she was super busy catering to a certain picky _someone_ all morning."

Claudia huffed in disgust. "Grow a pair of breasts and lose the cojones, twit. I'm going to go change. John, wait for me."

Maxie grinned as the older woman stormed out of the main area and back toward the fitting rooms, watching Nadine delicately finger the silk as Johnny looked on. "See? Now there's no good reason _not _to get the dress."

And when she dared to flash Johnny a cheeky look over her shoulder, he came to the conclusion that while he was at it with Claudia, he might as well take her out, too. He'd buy Spinelli a new computer in way of apology.


	38. 37

**Note – **The gifts are back. I've decided they're a motif in this story. :-P This is fluff until shit starts hitting the fan in the next chapter. And I said 'starts to.'

**The Right Girl 37**

_The locker room, the next day…_

"Are you ready?" Nadine looked up at the girls as they gathered around her, eager to see what she had slipped out to buy over her lunch break. She pulled the emerald gown out of the white box and held it up to her shoulders. "Ta-da!"

"Oh, my gosh!" Leyla clapped her hands together in delight. "What a lovely color for you! It really brings out your eyes."

"Is it backless?" Kelly reached out and turned the dress around. "Oh, it is, it is! Good work, honey, if you have it, flaunt it. I love it."

"I love the cut," Elizabeth agreed, leaning closer so that she could peer at it. "Look at the stitching here…oh, you might want to have the brooch reinforced there. The stitching looks weak there. No, no, don't let me touch it."

She shook her head and backed away when Nadine held it out to her. "I'm pretty sure I'm coming down with something – both of the boys have sniffles – and I don't want to get anything on it. It's just gorgeous, though."

"I don't think I've ever seen you dressed up," Leyla mused. "You're always in your jeans and t-shirts. If anything, you're sure to turn quite a few heads when you walk into the Versailles room wearing _that_."

"One head in particular," Kelly agreed wickedly. "A head of thick, dark hair and-"

"Seriously, you guys." Nadine shook her head at Kelly's single-mindedness, but couldn't keep from laughing. "Besides, Johnny's already seen me in this dress."

"See, I was talking about Nikolas," the obstetrician feigned. "Interesting that your mind went straight to Johnny."

Elizabeth laughed and elbowed her friend. "Stop teasing her – she's getting all red. And when did Johnny see you in the dress, hm?"

"I, uh…" She cleared her throat and began to gingerly fold up the dress. "I was at the boutique with Claudia and she told me to try on the dress because she wanted to see what my taste in clothes was like. Johnny walked in to talk to her and he saw me and Maxie modeling ours."

Leyla arched a brow. "…So if I heard that correctly, you went shopping with Maxie Jones and Claudia Zacchara."

"Not really shopping, no. We were all just trying on dresses and happened to do it in the same area…and exchange opinions. That's all."

"You were shopping with Claudia Zacchara," Kelly informed her dryly. "Accept it. And buy a bullet-proof vest while you're at it."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Guys, she's not that ba- Okay, yeah, she is. Never mind. I was in trouble, like, three words into that."

Elizabeth smiled weakly. "You're, um, you're careful around her, right?"

She glanced up from trying to arrange the tissue paper perfectly around her perfect dress. It all had to be perfect, damn it. The dress deserved nothing less. "What do you mean?"

"It's just…you're a very open person," Elizabeth started slowly. Kelly was nodding in agreement. "You don't have any problems talking to new people and putting yourself out there. I think we only knew each other for a few days before you told me about the things your Aunt Rayleen used to say. Just…just remember to be careful around Claudia, okay? She's not like you. She's not like any of us. I get the feeling that she's the kind of woman that, if she sees her advantage, she'll take it. No matter who she has to sacrifice for it."

"You wouldn't be wrong," Nadine admitted. "Johnny told me that she once said that – uh, never mind." It probably wasn't prudent to air Claudia's death threats against her father.

Her self-censorship seemed to come as a relief to Elizabeth, and the nurse smiled warmly. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you must be handling yourself okay around her so far because she still tolerates your presence and lets you shop with her. What'd she have to say about the dress?"

"She just told me to buy it," Nadine grinned. "She ordered me to, actually. Twice. So I took that to mean that she liked it. And she's got pretty good taste in clothes, too. The dresses she was looking at were all understated and elegant and had really delicate designs. She wasn't happy about buying off a rack, though, but she liked hers so much that she did. I think she's the type that goes to the designer stores in Italy and sits around and drinks champagne while models show her the newest ones, then points to the ones she wants without even asking about the price."

"With her money, why not?" Kelly shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. "More power to her."

"I'm just happy with mine," Nadine sighed dreamily. "It's so pretty – by far the prettiest thing I've ever owned. And I got a great discount on it, too. I mean, things will be a little tight and I won't be eating that much this week, but it's worth it. Besides, a mini-diet will help me rock this dress even harder."

Elizabeth laughed and picked up Nadine's tote bag as she hefted the light box of precious cargo. "Come on, let's get out of here. You have to get that dress home, and my Gram is dropping the boys off in half an hour. See you tomorrow, ladies."

It took them about ten minutes to get all their things together, say goodbye to their colleagues at the hub, and head out to the lower garage where their cars were parked.

"Thanks for helping me with my junk," Nadine called out over her shoulder. She rested the box on her trunk and then reached for the tote bag that Elizabeth was carrying for her in order to find her keys. "Lucky that we parked next to each other today."

"You got everything?" She grunted as Nadine relieved her of the bag altogether, then pried a coffee cup from the hand she had her own in.

"That's it," Nadine smiled. "Thanks again. Say hey to the boys for me."

"I will. I-"

Nadine looked up when Elizabeth cut off abruptly only to find that her friend was suddenly alarmingly pale. "What – Oh!"

She spun around and found two men in matching black trench coats standing not two yards away from her car. One carried two bags in his arms and the other was looking at her pointedly. Upon closer inspection it was clear that they didn't mean either of them any harm, but it was still unnerving to be accosted by two strange men in a dark parking garage, and she didn't blame Elizabeth for being afraid.

"A stab in the dark…you guys work for the Zacchara family, don't you?"

The one not carrying anything smirked at that. "Yes, we do. These are for you, Miss Crowell. If you don't mind, we'll just place them in your trunk."

Both women watched curiously as the man with the bags moved forward and carefully propped the paper sacks up in her trunk, arranging the other items there so that nothing would topple over. Unable to resist, Nadine leaned down and looked over the guard's shoulder, spying various Styrofoam containers and a wealth of napkins and plastic utensils.

"Is there a note with it?"

"Always is," the man smirked. He withdrew an envelope from his breast pocket and handed it to her. "Have a nice night, Miss Crowell. Ma'am."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose but waited until the men were out of earshot. "I hate it when people call me ma'am."

"I hate it when people call me Miss," Nadine murmured, turning the envelope over and neatly opening it with her nails. "Oooh…."

Elizabeth shifted her weight, as if debating whether to get in her car and leave for the night or give in to her curiosity and see what it was all about. When Nadine noticed her standing there over her shoulder, she quirked a smile and held the note into the light so her friend can see. Elizabeth quickly scanned the neat, masculine block print on the tidy square of cardstock.

_I know you said that it was either get the dress or eat this week. Since I think you made the right choice, dinner's on me tonight. _

_JZ_

She schooled her features carefully, not wanting to give anything away, and nodded curtly. "Hm."

Nadine arched a brow. "That's it? Just a 'hm'?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "That's it."

"You don't have anything to say?"

"Nothing that you'd want to hear," she demurred.

Nadine pursed her lips together. "Let me guess, I'm going to get another lecture about being careful and how dangerous the Zacchara family is?"

"Not from me," she replied, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.

"Then say what you were going to say."

A slow, teasing smile curled Elizabeth's lips. "I was just going to say that I thought that was very romantic. And to be careful only because a romantic gesture from a man that's spoken for is confusing and sometimes dangerous."

Nadine gaped at her, then stuffed the note back in the envelope. "It's not romantic! It's – it's platonic! And it's nice. In a platonic way. He just wanted an excuse to send me dinner."

"And that doesn't tell you something?" Elizabeth asked. "And by the way? He's flirting. With you. So get over it."

With a laugh, she gave Nadine's shoulder a playful squeeze and headed toward her car. "And if I was a betting woman, I'd say you've already figured out what you're sending him in return."

* * *

_A day or two later…_

"I don't care if it wastes gasoline, I'm not going to have that rat Trevors riding with us back to Crimson Manor."

Johnny rolled his eyes as Reivers let them in and moved immediately to take Claudia's light wrap and purse. "I get that you hate him, Claudie, I do, too, but it just feels wasteful. I mean, he had to take his own car and follow us eighteen miles out here. It's just wasteful."

"Don't care," she grumbled, exchanging surly looks with Trevor as the attorney stepped into the foyer. "Trevors, how good to see you."

He sneered at her and switched his attaché case to the other hand. "If you two kids are done screwing around, we have important business to – what in the world is that?"

Reivers nervously wrung his fingers together as all of them turned and caught sight of a giant clear plastic bag filled with fortune cookies. "Er…uh, I purchased those for Master John, Mister Lansing. I remembered his fondness for them and ordered a batch from the nearest wholesale merchandise store."

Claudia snarled as Trevor looked at the butler strangely. "Reivers, what's the matter with you? Who's going to eat that many fortune cookies?"

"I seem to remember your fondness for them, too, in your girlhood, Miss," Reivers tried. "I only thought-"

"And what are you doing shopping at wholesale food marts, anyway? Ugh, giant warehouses of stale food…" She walked over and flicked the bag. "Hey, there's a note…"

"That's just the receipt!" Reivers practically yelped, moving forward to usher Trevor from the room. "Silly me, in my carelessness I must have left it out. Mister Lansing, Cook just made a batch of your favorite scones. I'm sure she can be persuaded to put on the kettle for you as well."

With the attorney safely out of earshot, Reivers back-tracked over to where the Zacchara siblings stood. "I didn't purchase the cookies, Miss. I confess, I fabricated that little bit to evade Mister Lansing's suspicions. The cookies arrived for Master John this morning with the customary note."

Johnny grinned and plucked the envelope from his sister's hand. "Nice."

Claudia looked down at the bag of cookies, tied on top with a blue ribbon, and then tried to read over her brother's shoulder. "Let's see what it says."

"I don't think so," Johnny murmured, turning his shoulder abruptly. She tried to peek over his other shoulder and he turned again, absolutely certain that he and his sister looked like a decade-younger version of themselves, but beyond caring.

_My Aunt Rayleen used to say that the man (or woman) that feeds others grows fat off their wishes for his or her good fortune. I thought you'd enjoy these, especially since your sister hardly seems like the Betty Crocker type anymore. Plus, I didn't have to give away too many of my magic beans for these, so my dress remains justified. God, I love Cost Effective Mart. What other place would sell me a 10 lb. drum of nutmeg? I ask you._

_NC_

"What'd she say? What's the deal with the cookies?"

Johnny stuffed the note in his pocket and grinned at his sister. "No deal. She just hopes we enjoy them."

Claudia made a face at his back as he bent to pick up the bag. "You just don't want me to see. I bet it was something mushy."


	39. 38

**Note – **Dun dun dunnn…And I'm not talking John Donne, either.

**The Right Girl 38**

It had taken him and Claudia a week, but they managed to finish all those fortune cookies Nadine sent. Cook was a little miffed at the fact that after every meal, the siblings would drag out the giant plastic containers in which they had to divvy up and store the cookies and chomp them down instead of so much as asking her what she had made, but there were more than enough guards around to consume her flan and tiramisu and rice-and-cinnamon pudding. Plus, Claudia and Johnny didn't let anyone else in on their stash. Reivers got one, but only because he was Reivers.

Even now, as he walked along the docks, he had a few fortunes tucked away in his pocket. They were his favorite ones out of his lot (Claudia read hers and then promptly burned them, saying that she made her own luck) and he liked having them around.

Some were quite funny: _He who throws dirt is losing ground. A closed mouth gathers no feet. A fanatic is one who can't change his mind, and won't change the subject._

Some were quite promising: _A thrilling time is in your immediate future. Plan for many pleasures ahead. Your everlasting patience will soon be rewarded. _(That one had to be about Claudia.)

Some were so dead-on, it was scary: _Excitement and intrigue follow you closely wherever you go. You have a fine appreciation of the arts and music. Fame, riches, and romance are yours for the asking. _

And some reminded him of Nadine: _A friend is a present you give yourself. _(That had her name all over it.) _A friend asks only for your time, not your money. _(And would probably kick him in the nads if he tried to get her a really expensive gift.)_ A secret admirer will soon send you a sign of affection. _(She was hardly his secret admirer, but still.)

Yeah, he'd eaten a lot of fortune cookies.

He turned the corner, heading away from the waterfront and inward toward the Taylor properties that Claudia had purchased right out from under Sonny's nose back in the fall. The sound of footsteps could be heard somewhere close by and he stopped, every muscle tensing, and reached behind him for his gun.

It was a good thing that he didn't grab it, because the next person he saw was decidedly not an enemy and all of thirteen years old.

"Michael Corinthos?"

The boy spun around, his eyes growing large when he saw his father's enemy standing a few feet away.

Johnny frowned and looked around. It didn't look like there were any guards on the kid, and this was a dangerous part of town. "Hey, are you sure you should be out here, all alone? Don't you have any guards with you?"

The boy still glared up at him warily. "…No. I just, uh, got lost."

He was lying, but that was his business, not Johnny's. He arched a brow at the kid, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he was an idiot for 'getting lost' in this area. "You should probably head back into town, or at least toward one of your dad's warehouses where someone can get you home. This part of the docks is really dangerous; you never know what might happen-"

He didn't have a chance to finish that thought. Before he could even see what was coming his way, Johnny was grabbed by the shoulder and slammed up against the brick wall so hard he saw white spots in front of his eyes.

Max Giambetti, one of the men in the Corinthos entourage, was practically breathing down his neck as Sonny glowered over his shoulder. "Michael, get back behind your dad, kid."

The boy did as he was told, and Sonny immediately reached for his son. "Michael, you all right, buddy?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'm okay-"

It was all Sonny needed to hear. His obsidian eyes blazed at he glared at Johnny, who barely managed to push Max's arm off his windpipe in order to draw breath. "Is this how you conduct business, Johnny? Stop threatening my kid."

"I wasn't threatening him," Johnny snorted, trying to roughly shove Max back. The guard looked over his shoulder and upon receiving a nod from his boss, took two steps back. "We were just talking. You should really keep an eye on your kids."

Sonny's lips settled into a grim line and he looked down at his son. "Michael, what were you doing here all alone?"

"I, uh, was out behind Kelly's to get some air," he started, his eyes darting nervously back and forth between the three men. "And I heard footsteps so – so I started running and then I came here and I was lost and then – and then _he _came up and started saying that the docks were a dangerous place to be alone and that I should watch out."

He scowled up at Johnny and inched partially behind his father. "He was threatening me."

Johnny stared at the kid in shock, reflecting that he probably shouldn't have been surprised at what a fucking brat he was since this was Sonny Corinthos's demon spawn, after all, and knew his fate was sealed.

"Do you see Trey over there? I want you to walk straight toward him and get in the car. Don't look back, just run to the car, okay?" Sonny gave his son a little push, and Michael did what he was told. As soon as the boy's back was turned, Sonny pulled out his gun and quietly clicked off the safety feature.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he murmured. "You showed up at my wife's house before, where both my boys were, and I told you to back off. Should have listened, kid. There's no one around to save you this time. You come after my family? You _will_ get hurt."

He pointed the gun at Johnny's chest, and for a minute, Johnny couldn't breathe. He stared at the barrel, willing the weapon to go off because at least that would end the interminability of the moment. The silence, one or two seconds at most but feeling a lot longer, was deafening.

And then a gunshot sounded.

Fortunately for him, it didn't come from Sonny's gun.

Max immediately had his weapon drawn when two more shots were fired near Sonny's feet. The mobster jumped in the air, hopping again as soon as he hit the ground. It was almost comical, like something out of an old Western flick, and Johnny couldn't help but smile.

That smile unnerved the two men, he was sure, but not as much as the woman that stepped out from the shadows with two men at her side.

"And you come after _my_ family?" Claudia kept her weapon trained at Sonny's feet to emphasize her point. "You'll be hurt a lot worse. And that's a promise."

Max exchanged nervous glances with his boss, seeing that they were outnumbered, and shakily lowered his weapon.

Claudia remained as she was, advancing a few steps until she was at Johnny's side. "Go back home to your little waif, Sonny. Give her a yellow bonnet, talk about the funnel cakes at Coney Island, and leave business to the big kids. Get."

It took a few intimidating looks and a couple equally intimidating steps forward before Sonny and Max withdrew, and it was only when Claudia heard his car pull away that she let out a sigh of relief. And then she turned around and smacked her brother upside the head.

"What the hell, John?"

He batted her hand away angrily and snarled. "I didn't need your help. I don't need to be protected from that psychopath. I would have handled it just fine, I don't need you thinking you have to protect me."

He was being petulant, and they both knew it. Claudia sighed and slipped her weapon back into the holster she wore under her black jacket. "Obviously, you do, John, because you weren't handling yourself right."

"What the fuck do you know about-"

"Hey." She cupped his chin and looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to have this argument with you. It's pointless. All I'm saying is that I know it makes you angry when an idiot like Corinthos can best you and surprise you like that. But you need to be smart about it, John. Accept help when you need it."

He looked away from her well-meaning but stern gaze and took a step back. "I'm fine," he grumbled, shoving his way past the guards. "And I'm late for a board meeting."

* * *

"Hey, baby." Nadine tickled Jake under the chin, smiling when the baby squirmed and cooed. It was a distressed sound, but at least he wasn't crying anymore. Elizabeth was off tracking down Dr. Scott, her most trusted pediatrician who was off for the day in about five minutes, and she had left Jake with her for five minutes. "I know you're sick, and I know you're not having any fun. Ear infections are the worst."

She shifted him in her hold, cradling him in her arms. Being upright made him wail, and this was the only position the infant could stand. "But, tell you what? Your mom's going to make Dr. Scott stay a little longer so he can check you out, and you're going to get some medicine and you're going to be just fine. I used to get ear infections all the time, and my Aunt Rayleen would sing me TV show theme songs. That was the only way I'd calm down enough to go to sleep."

Nadine frowned down at Jake, who was staring up at the googly eyes on her Goofy hat with unabashed interest. "That's probably pretty sad, huh? And it explains a lot about me."

"I'm back," came a breathless voice, and Nadine looked up to see Elizabeth trotting over to her. "Thank you so much for watching him. I found Garrett in the Oncology lounge with Ian and he agreed to examine Jake. Thanks again."

"No problem," she replied, handing the baby over to her. "I hope he gets better soon."

The elevator doors slid open as Elizabeth situated her son in her arms, gently rocking him when he started to cry, and Nadine looked over to see Johnny step out onto the tenth floor. He saw her almost immediately and smiled, but she could read the troubled expression in his eyes. She smiled back, beamed, really, in way of compensation. Elizabeth looked up, saw him standing there, and managed a polite smile before ducking away to get her son to his doctor.

Johnny watched her go and, since she was heading down the same hallway he needed to in order to get to the boardroom, he let her get a bit of a head start. He spotted his girlfriend coming down the other hall toward the elevators, no doubt back from visiting her father if the confiscated cigars in her pocket were any indication, and was relieved when she only barely glared at Nadine as she came up to him. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, promising to get together with her later, and waited until she was in the elevator and out of view before heading to his meeting.

It was an emergency meeting about a few last minute clearance items on Nikolas Cassidine's health insurance foundation, so thankfully, it was a quick one. He placed his votes, signed a few contracts, and they were all out of there. These were the meetings he could fully get behind: the less time he had to spend in an over-air-conditioned room with a bunch of bald, old white men.

He waited until the rest of the men cleared out, spending those few minutes chatting with Nikolas. The prince was an amiable man, reasonable and slow to emotions, and the reminder of his own mortality lent him an even more distinguished air as he occasionally punctuated his words with a gentle thump of his black cane on the floor.

After chatting about the foundation for a while, Nikolas admitted that he was tired and would like to retire to his room. Johnny walked with him out of the room, shook his hand, and the men parted ways. He had barely gotten to the end of the corridor when he spotted Jason Morgan lurking around. This was strange, especially given Johnny's confrontation with Sonny just an hour or so ago.

Curious now, he studied Jason from afar. The enforcer appeared edgy and tense, and was being careful to blend into his surroundings as best he could. He dodged the various nurses and orderlies scurrying around and took off down the hall, his stride decidedly purposeful.

He didn't quite know what made him follow the man – really, it was quite the ill-conceived idea – but Johnny did so anyway. He nodded politely at the nurse stationed at the hub, the one that had looked so much like his mother that fateful night on Spoon Island, and hurried down the same hallway that Jason Morgan had disappeared down.

He rounded the corner and stopped when he saw Jason standing at the other end of the hall, fidgeting and drumming his fingers against his thigh with impatience. Johnny's patience paid off because a few minutes later, the door to an exam room opened and a tall doctor with silver hair and a necktie boasting the likeness of a Jim Henson muppet came out. He closed the door behind himself and walked down the hall, taking little notice of Jason.

As soon as he was out of view, Johnny watched Jason spring into action. He hurried down the hall, glancing this way and that for any sign of nurses or other doctors, and Johnny only barely managed to duck in time. He heard the sound of a door opening and when he looked again, Jason had ducked into the hospital room that the doctor had emerged from.

Now this was interesting.

Mindful of the fortune in his pocket (his patience would soon be rewarded), Johnny pushed himself away from the wall and slowly ambled down the hallway, casual and oblivious to all watching bystanders. He slowed as he passed the exam room and was thankful that the door was left open a crack.

Inside, he saw Jason Morgan holding Nurse Webber's son in his arms and pressing a kiss to the boy's downy hair as the infant yawned and fisted his black t-shirt with a little wail.

"What'd the doctor say?"

He could hear Elizabeth's voice, though he only saw her hand as she ran it gently up and down the baby's back, then brushed a lock of hair away from Jason's eyes. It was a remarkably tender gesture, and Johnny listened carefully to the exchange.

"He says Jake had a cold which led to an ear infection. He gave me antibiotics for him and said to watch him for a day or two, and that Jake should be fine."

Johnny could see Jason smile, and the enforcer further surprised him by affectionately nuzzling the little boy who was attempting to suck his shirt into his mouth. "Hear that, son? You'll be just fine."

He clamped his mouth shut to prevent any sort of noise that could have possibly escaped (he was known to choke on his saliva when he was caught off-guard and it was hardly attractive) and when he was certain that Jason wasn't about to burst into the hall with a gun trained to his face for eavesdropping, Johnny backtracked and quickly turned the corner, his mind racing with what he had just heard.

Jason Morgan was a father. He had a son, and more than that, a secret son. With one of the town's reputable 'good girls,' a sweet, even-tempered nurse at the hospital. Jason Morgan had tapped that and now he had a freaking kid to show for it. A kid that no one else knew about.

He leaned back against the wall in a sequestered part of the corridor, just to catch his breath, and wondered just what he would do with this new information.


	40. 39

The Right Girl 39

**The Right Girl 39**

She stepped into the Versailles room at about the same time that Claudia and Trevor entered through the other doors and, since she didn't see anyone else she knew close by, Nadine walked on over.

"Hey," she smiled, first at Claudia and then at the bored-looking attorney. "I'm glad I ran into you here. Hi, Mister Lansing."

"Miss Crowell," he murmured, politely clasping her hand as Claudia rolled her eyes. He issued the customary compliment but didn't seem too moved by the sentiment. "You look exceedingly lovely this evening."

"Quit flirting, Trevors, she's way out of your league in that she doesn't need to suck the blood of infants to sustain her life force."

He smiled thinly at Nadine, not dignifying Claudia with any attention. "This is shaping up to be a splendid night indeed."

Nadine chuckled at that and glanced at Claudia. "I almost didn't think you were going to make it. A night of song and dance and donations didn't really seem like your cup of tea."

"I'm only here because I need an alibi for around ten o'clock tonight," she replied breezily, making Trevor groan.

The attorney shook his head and extracted his arm from Claudia's hold. "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I think I see my son over there. Yet another ungrateful, disrespectful child who thinks he knows everything – I can hardly wait."

Claudia watched him go and let out an irritated huff. "Would you believe that he's the only date I could get on such short notice? Ever since I made Corwin ride around in the elevator with the tape on his mouth, he won't come near me. Shame, because he's a good kisser, too."

"I would have thought your little black book would be full," Nadine murmured, grinning when the older woman scowled down at her. "…You, um, you don't really need an alibi tonight, do you? That was just a joke, right?"

Amusement kicked up the corner of her mouth and Claudia shrugged. "Watch the news tomorrow morning and you'll know, one way or another."

Nadine groaned and looked around the room, relieved when she spotted Spinelli, Maxie, Leyla, Nikolas, and a couple other people she knew. "So, where are you sitting?"

Unmindful of her manners, Claudia raised her arm and pointed. "Right there where Trevors and Ric are. It's me, him, John, the Clydesdale, and two guards we brought along just in case." She glanced down at Nadine and smirked. "You should, uh, sit with us if you don't have a seat. I could move Trevors over and you could sit next to me."

But Nadine was too smart to fall for her trick. "Yeah, because I'm sure Lulu would just _love_ that."

Claudia grinned, caught, and absently smoothed her partial up-do. "Yeah, well, can't blame me for trying to spice up a boring night. By the way, he's already here."

"Huh? Who?"

"Yeah, right. My dumbass brother, that's who." She tipped her head toward the dance floor. "He's dancing with the Clydesdale, so you'll have to catch him when he stops to ice his feet."

Without bothering with a goodbye, much less more idle chatter, Claudia flicked a loose lock of hair over her shoulder and ambled down the stairs toward her table where two of her men were already seated.

* * *

The first song-and-dance portion had just concluded, and Nadine had loved it all.

"You guys did a great job," she grinned, leaning against the table where Spinelli and Maxie were seated right alongside Sonny Corinthos and his entourage. They had just returned from backstage, once again dressed in their formal ball attire. "I really loved that skirt you wore."

"Wasn't it the best?" Maxie beamed. "Long and silky and fitted – and the color! Plum is totally in this season, along with creamy off-whites, so invest in at least one or two pieces like that. I totally stole the skirt from Kate – I was whining about how I couldn't find a thing for Adelaide's character and she told me to look through the clothes' room. I yanked one from the new collection instead. I'm going to be in for it on Monday."

"As if that's ever discouraged you before," Spinelli smiled sweetly, earning a wry look. "Glad you enjoyed our number, Nadine. The Jackal's been told he has considerable stage presence."

Jason Morgan snorted out loud and didn't even bother to cover up the noise when Spinelli turned and stared at him.

"You do," Nadine replied sincerely, successfully distracting Spinelli from his mentor. "Seriously, you two, that was the cutest rendition of 'Guys and Dolls' I've ever seen."

"Did you see the number Lulu did with Lucky?" Maxie spotted the blonde in question dancing with her boyfriend to some schmaltzy tune Johnny had paid the orchestra to play and giggled. "Wasn't that hilarious? She missed a step and stomped on Lucky's toe. I swear, that mess has absolutely no rhythm."

Nadine tried not to smile _too _wickedly at Lulu's expense. "Maybe she was just nervous. You know, being up on stage in front of the whole town like that. I certainly wouldn't be brave enough to do it."

Maxie snorted, both sounding and looking a lot like Jason had earlier. She knew that her constant Lulu-bashing was annoying Sonny Corinthos, who reportedly had a soft spot for the girl, but bless her, Maxie just didn't seem to care. And Nadine had to envy that kind of self-assurance. "Please. She's always making a spectacle of herself in front of anyone stupid enough to pay attention to her. It wasn't stage fright: it was a clear-cut case of being a clumsy horsebeast."

Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan were looking pointedly at them, and while Nadine fidgeted uncomfortably at the stern and unwanted scrutiny, Spinelli and Maxie didn't seem to mind it at all, probably because they were both more than used to it.

"Aren't you glad I made you do this with me?" Maxie was saying as she played with her napkin. "We have to figure out how we're going to top this next year."

"What makes you think I'm going to do this with you next year?"

"Fine. If I have to go onstage by myself, I'll do the Bette Midler number. You know, the one about Otto Titsling, the inventor of the brassiere. Ooh, I'll have to go shopping for a pair of killer panties and a really hot bra…"

"…Fine! I'll do the number with you next year."

Nadine glanced at Jason Morgan, who looked first as if he was going to be sick at the visual Maxie presented, and then saw the look in his eyes change. She looked over to where he was staring and saw, much to her chagrin, that Claudia Zacchara had spotted them. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Spinelli and Maxie, and Nadine did _not_ like the cruel little smile that played on her lips as the brunette advanced.

Claudia was just a step away from their table, more than ready to rattle off a stinging retort at the couple, when Nadine reached out and loosely linked her arm with hers, pulling her in the opposite direction.

"No."

Claudia stumbled a bit when she felt herself being pulled, but didn't put up a fight. Probably because she didn't want to ruin her dress. "But I was just going to-"

Nadine glanced at Spinelli and Maxie and found that Sonny's whole table was staring at the two of them as she tried to yank the mob princess back to her own table. "_No_."

She heaved an exaggerated sigh and reluctantly turned away. "You always ruin my ticket to the freak show."

"You've still got me."

"True," she agreed as they walked back down the steps away from the Corinthos table. "But the thing about you is that you know you're a freak – it's much more fun to demean someone who doesn't."

Maxie crinkled her nose and looked at her boyfriend. "You think she was talking about us?"

* * *

"Dance with me."

She set down her champagne flute and turned, grinning. "Where have I heard that before?"

Johnny grinned at her. "Hey, at least I asked this time instead of just ordering you to."

Nadine thought back to the night of the Black and White Ball when a mysterious, masked, dark-haired man appeared in front of her and pulled her out on to the floor. "Did you? Because that sounded a lot like an order to me."

His hand slipped into hers and Johnny gave her a tug, flashing her a cocky little grin. "Really? Well, then, surely you'd be remiss to resist me."

As if she could. Every time he grinned at her, every time his fingers oh-so-innocently brushed against her skin, every time he leaned close enough for her to catch a whiff of his cologne, it got just a little harder to do so.

She covered with a laugh and let him lead her out onto the floor. Lulu was nowhere in sight, thankfully; out of sight, out of mind. He pulled her into a loose embrace, their fingers interlocked with the back of her hand resting against his lapel, and his hand at the small of her back.

The orchestra began to play, the first few notes soft and slow and lilting. The exposition gradually picked up, and Nadine concentrated on the music so singularly that she didn't even notice how Johnny was staring at her. Before long, she recognized the piece and her eyes lit up.

"The theme music to Jeeves & Wooster?" She laughed at his sheepish grin. "What, did you slip the conductor a twenty to get him to play it?"

"Pretty much," he admitted, still smiling. "What's the matter? You don't like it?"

"I love it," Nadine replied, "it's my favorite theme song, you know that. Tied to the one for I Love Lucy. But they're playing it differently tonight – a little, I don't know, happier? Faster?"

Johnny shrugged. It was exactly how he'd told the conductor to play it. "Hadn't noticed."

God, she was gorgeous.

Was it possible for a swatch of cloth to change the color of a person's eyes? He never thought so, but then again, both he and Claudia always had eyes the darkest brown, and there was hardly anything alluring or mystical about _darkest brown_. For some reason, his sister liked to outline hers in dark blue liner or whatever it was to make them "pop," or so she said, but he had never been able to make out the difference.

But the vivid emerald gown Nadine wore, aside from making her skin glow, made her eyes look almost sea green when he knew full well that they were blue. As far as he was concerned, this should have been the only color in existence in her wardrobe.

The silk was smooth under his palm as he moved his hand slowly back and forth over her back, his fingers gently brushing the expanse of skin she bared there. The dress dipped low just beneath her breasts and tied back behind her neck, and his fingers yearned to find out just where. God, he loved women's fashions, all those flirty dresses, some charmingly demure and others unabashedly sexy, with all sorts of little sashes and ties and ribbons that his roaming hands just _itched _to undo.

She was talking about some summer shindig back in her home town, but it was hard for him to concentrate when his hand was resting rather inappropriately on her bottom. It was far lower than it should have been, but he just couldn't bring himself to raise it to her back.

It was troubling, his attraction to her. It had always been there, if he was honest, niggling at the back of his mind. He'd known she was pretty from the second he'd seen her at the ball. It was kind of hard _not_ to notice when a girl was pretty. But he had been occupied with Lulu and hadn't really taken the time to stop and appreciate her kind, sparkling eyes, the warm glow of her skin, her pretty, bouncy curls, or her perfect Cupid's bow mouth that just begged to be kissed.

No, these thoughts crept up on him slowly over the past few months, catching him unaware and then retreating just as quickly when he stopped to try and puzzle through them. Nadine was beautiful, there was no denying that. And the best part was that she didn't even seem to try all that hard at it – probably because she didn't know how. She had been the first to admit that to him on one of their many quiet sojourns.

Her beauty crept up on him in the oddest of places: a frigid evening along the river when he noticed her long fingers, strong but still delicate, as she tossed bread to those stupid ducks; a worn-down stool at Kelly's when he noticed just how long her legs were as she dangled them absently while waiting for her disgusting, condiment-riddled order; on the hospital roof where he noticed just how bright her eyes were in the moonlight; in his car, with her long hair streaming in the wind, when he heard her laugh and saw her, pure and uninhibited, for the first time.

They were hardly conventional moments, unlike now, when she was coifed and done up and dressed in that absolutely sinful gown that showed just enough skin to drive him crazy imagining the rest.

He knew it was wrong to be thinking about her this way, especially when he was in love with Lulu and she was probably halfway in love with Nikolas, but deliberating about the morality of it and the ramifications and the reasoning behind it all made his head spin, so he tried not to. Johnny Zacchara had always been a big believer in intuition, far more than methodical Claudia, driven by advantage and statistics, and he was willing to leave a lot more things to fate than most people were.

He let out a little groan when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but knew it was probably important. Reluctantly, he removed his hand from its rather satisfying position on her derriere and reached for it. His frown grew when he saw that it was his sister.

"Everything okay?"

Regret flashed in his dark eyes and he gestured to his phone. "I gotta go take this. Finish this up later?"

She smiled and slowly unlinked her fingers from his, and Johnny found himself missing her warmth. "Sure. I'll be around."

He reluctantly withdrew from the dance floor and hurried to the side exit to take the call. Hopefully there was a quiet nook in the hall somewhere where he wouldn't be seen or heard. Thankfully, the side exit opened up into a small, dark hallway that led out to the alley behind the hospital by the loading dock, and there wasn't a single person in sight.

"Claudia?"

"_Took you long enough," _came the voice from the other end. _"Listen, I didn't want to tell you this at the house because of Trevors. I got a tip that Corinthos is planning something on one of our warehouse properties. It could be a fluke, but just in case it goes down, I need you to be prepared and not to be surprised when it backfires on him. Stay away from Jason and Sonny and don't say a thing afterward, got it?"_

Staying away from Jason Morgan wasn't an issue. After what he had learned yesterday, Johnny was almost afraid to be around the man just in case Jason could read the truth about his son's paternity in Johnny's eyes and then conspire to waste him for it. He was practically ready to burst from keeping the secret bottled up, but there was no way he could tell his sister about it.

"Sure, no problem."

"_And, uh, don't be surprised if Trevors ends up missing if something goes down, too. Let's call it my little failsafe."_

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, fine. Anything else?"

"_Yeah, just one more thing. If you're going to grope Vacuum Girl's ass in public, the least you could do is be subtle about it. Dumbass."_

* * *

"What in the world was that music that was playing?" Elizabeth tucked a loose curl behind her ear and crossed her arms over the low-cut neckline of her dark brown dress. "I've never heard that before."

"I bet this one has," Leyla smirked, elbowing Nadine as she blushed. "Well?"

"It's nothing," she replied, "it's just the theme song of an old TV show."

"See, that begs the question…" Elizabeth tapped her finger thoughtfully on her chin, but her glittering eyes gave her away. "Why would Johnny Zacchara slip the orchestra guys some cash to play an old theme song? Unless, of course, it's a _special_ theme song."

She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and Nadine rolled her eyes. "We used to watch the show together whenever we'd hang out at my place. He hears me humming it all the time, that's why. And it's no big deal – he paid the guys to play some song he wrote for Lulu, too. See? No big deal."

"Well, if _I _received that kind of attention from a man, I certainly wouldn't be hanging off to the side of the room with two of my girlfriends and talking about it. I'd be off snogging him in the coat closet."

"Uh – excuse me?"

They all whirled around, and Nadine wanted to crawl into a hole when she saw Johnny standing there, eyeing them curiously. But upon closer inspection, it didn't appear that he'd heard anything particularly sensitive. Elizabeth and Leyla exchanged glances and withdrew just a step, leaving Nadine there, and the message was clear.

"I need to talk to you for a minute."

She glanced at her friends and then at the side exit that he pointed to, and let him take her arm. "Okay, sure. Everything okay? Is this about the phone call?"

"What? Oh. No, no," he sighed impatiently, ushering her through the door and out of the Versailles Room. "That was my sister, being a pain in the ass as usual. No, this has nothing to do with her."

He made sure the door was securely shut and then, thinking better of it, drew her even further down the hall toward the emergency exit that led to the loading docks. The door was cracked just a bit but there was no one around, and the cool night breeze felt lovely after being in the warm, congested Versailles Room.

"It's just…" He let out a short, impatient breath through his nose. "I found something out yesterday and it's been driving me crazy. I can't tell my sister about it because I'm afraid about what she'll do with the information, I can't tell Trevor for obvious reasons, and I can't tell Lulu because she's connected to it. And I have to tell someone."

She smiled despite herself. "You've got something pretty juicy, huh?"

Johnny gave her a stern look. "Look, you have to keep this to yourself, okay? I can tell you and you can tell me, but that's it."

"Okay."

He sucked in a slow breath and leaned in just slightly. "Jason Morgan is the father of your friend Elizabeth's baby."

Nadine's jaw dropped. "…_What?"_

Johnny nodded excitedly. "Yeah. He's the father, and they've been hiding it all this time."

Her mouth was still hanging open and she was sure it was horribly unattractive, but she found she required quite some time to process this. "Oh, my god. Oh, my…god! Oh, my god!"

"I know!"

They stared at each other, wide eyed, for a few seconds before Nadine clamped her hand over her mouth. "Oh! Oh! It all makes sense now!"

Johnny wasn't following. "What does?"

"The things Elizabeth said," she explained hurriedly. "Back when we were – uh – not really seeing each other, she told me that if I wanted to be friends with you, I should, and that I shouldn't let something like what you do be the only reason I stay away from you."

He scrubbed a hand over his mouth. "…Probably because the business is the big reason that she's staying away from Jason. I mean, what else would it be, if she had his kid and all?"

"And, she said that sometimes it's the bad boys that turn out to be the best men," Nadine added.

Johnny gave her a slow, hot smile and arched his brow just so in his practiced, charmingly supercilious expression. "So you think I'm a bad boy, huh?"

She flicked his lapel, rolling his eyes. "Focus, Johnny, focus. They have a freaking kid! Jake is their freaking kid!"

"I know!"

She covered her face with her hands and let out a little cluck. "Oh, man. I still can't believe it. Imagine having a kid and staying away from him because of the danger that surrounds you. Imagine walking away from your _son_ and his mother just to keep them safe, and spending the rest of your life wishing you could be with the ones you love but forcing yourself to stay away."

"I couldn't do it," Johnny admitted, leaning back against the wall. "Having a son, my own flesh and blood, and not being with him…I just know I couldn't do it. I don't know how Jason hasn't snapped."

"I know," she murmured sadly, picking at her nails. "And Elizabeth. Gosh, poor Elizabeth. She loves Jason so much, I know she does, just from little things I've picked up in passing. Her heart is probably breaking all the time because she can't have her family together and happy."

"They've done a pretty good job keeping it quiet, though," he pointed out. "If I hadn't heard Jason saying it, I never would have imagined it was possible. And I've seen the two of them talking sometimes at the hospital, but I never would have guessed that Elizabeth was involved with him. She seems like such a…well…like you."

Nadine blinked. "What do you mean?"

Johnny shrugged. "A nice, sweet, good girl. The last kind of girl you'd assume would be sleeping with a mobster."

She blushed at that but nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

He let out a slow, controlled breath, still looking as if he was trying to wrap his head around everything, and offered her his arm. "Let's head back in before people notice we're gone."

"Good idea." She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and let him lead her down the hall and back into the Versailles Room.

The door shut quietly behind them as they joined the partygoers again, and a minute passed before the door leading out to the loading docks opened fully. Claudia Zacchara, phone in hand and Hayden's tuxedo jacket on her bare shoulders, stepped inside and leaned against the doorjamb, staring at the door through which her brother and Nadine had disappeared behind with the smallest, most wicked little grin touching her lips.


	41. 40

**The Right Girl 40**

The next day…

"Were you there when that Prince guy was making his speech?"

Johnny looked up from his book and saw his sister leaning against the door to the library. "Nikolas? Yeah. I thought it was nice."

"It was so…" She waved her hand in the air. "Simpering."

He rolled his eyes. "You've truly got no sympathy for anyone, huh?"

"And the way he started quoting 'Aunt Rayleen,' and then interrupted himself and was like, 'not that she was _my_ Aunt Rayleen, but I feel like she might as well be, ha ha ha.' I was like, come on, get on with it. Stop appropriating pastoral characters for your own image enhancement and egalitarian purposes."

Johnny shifted uncomfortably, remembering the way Nikolas had smiled warmly at Nadine from on stage and how she had blushed. "So what? He and Nadine spend a lot of time together. Of course he's heard about her."

"I thought Aunt Corn-Pone was someone she brought up all the time more so around you and me," Claudia frowned. "Ah, well, it doesn't really matter. And does he really need that cane of his? He seems to get on fine without it. Maybe it's just for show."

Again, he rolled his eyes. "Only you would think that a man's cane was for show and that he didn't actually know how to use it right."

"If I know what you mean," she winked exaggeratedly.

Johnny grimaced and returned to his book. "Nikolas doesn't have a limp, but he gets dizzy if he's on his feet too long. The cane helps him maintain his balance and his mobility, especially since he refuses a wheelchair. Says it makes him feel like an invalid."

"He _is_ an invalid," his sister murmured, only slightly unkindly. "But he's handsome enough. I can definitely understand what Nadine sees in him. He'd be even hotter without that lump of cells lodged in his brain."

He studiously ignored her.

"Anyway, I gotta go check on a few things. Find me if you need me."

"No rest for the wicked, huh?" He smirked at her back as she left the room and settled comfortably back in his chair. It was one he had read in a contemporary fiction class while he was at Oxford. He'd only taken the damn class to satisfy graduation requirements, but found himself loving the literature his professor had selected. This particular book was one of his favorites.

He was so absorbed in the text that he almost didn't hear his phone buzzing on the table next to him. One quick glance at the initials _NC_ had him turning his book over on his knee and reaching for it.

"Hey."

"_So. Guess what?"_

"What?"

"Jason and Elizabeth were in the waiting room just now talking about something for, like, half an hour. It was pretty intense, too. See? I was right: Not only did they make a baby, but they're definitely seeing each other. All secret-like."

He grinned and switched the phone to his other ear. "You know, I always thought that Jason was all stone cold like Spinelli says, but I guess not."

"Isn't it romantic? A secret baby and a secret romance?"

"Yeah. He's got a lady on the side. Nice."

He could hear Nadine let out a huff on the other end and smiled. "Ugh, you are such a boy."

* * *

"You come visit me soon, you hear, boy?"

"Yeah, Dad." With his back turned toward his father, he grasped the door handle behind him and began to pull it shut. "I'll come back soon."

He shut it and leaned his head back against it, letting out a sigh. Visits with his father always left him drained and wanting nothing more than to head to Jake's for a few shots of whiskey. It usually took him a full day to recover from the myriad of emotions the old man incited from him.

A noise at the opposite end of the hall got his attention, and Johnny looked over just in time to see Elizabeth Webber poke her head out from a supply closet. She looked around and thankfully didn't see him due to how he was still half-standing in the doorway of his father's room, then stepped out and smoothed her hair. Her scrubs were a little rumpled and she pulled them into place and quickly rounded the corner.

Twenty seconds later, the door opened again and this time, much to Johnny's surprise and amusement, none other than Jason Morgan stepped out. He had his jacket slung over his arm and his t-shirt had ridden up. He looked around and made sure the coast was clear, then pulled his shirt into place and shrugged on his jacket. Smoothing his hands over his tousled spikes, he headed down the hall in the opposite direction that Elizabeth had taken earlier.

Johnny smirked and waited until he was sure Jason was gone before pulling his phone out of his pocket. He was no stranger to texting and soon had a message sent.

_Where r u_

He waited ten seconds and then the answer came.

_Locker room at GH._

She was such a trip, punctuating her texts the way she did. Johnny almost slipped his phone back into his pocket, then thought better of it when something truly mischievous occurred to him.

_What r u wearing_

He almost didn't send it, but then again, he lived life on the wild side so off it went. When thirty seconds and then a minute passed without a reply, he thought that she had taken offense or otherwise decided not to answer when his phone emitted a little beep.

_Ha ha. No._

He laughed to himself, pocketed the phone, and took off down the hall to find her.

* * *

"Nadine?"

"Over here."

"You decent?"

"Why? Hoping for a peep show?" She couldn't believe she said that to him, but it was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm decent."

She yanked her black tank top into place just as he came up to the row of lockers and leaned against hers. "Today was your day to visit your dad, right?"

"Right," he replied hurriedly, and if she hadn't been so focused on finding her damn socks (why were they never where she wanted them to be, namely on her feet?) Nadine would have noticed how his gaze lingered on her a little longer than was probably appropriate. "But that's not what I came to talk about."

"What's going on?"

"I just came out of my dad's room when I saw something that I knew would amuse you," he smirked, cocking a dark brow at her. "Two words: Supply closet."

Nadine frowned. "Um…not following."

"Fine, two more words: Jason, Elizabeth, supply closet."

Her jaw dropped and Nadine let out a loud laugh. "Oh, my gosh, you're kidding! Aren't you?"

Johnny shook his head. "Nope. They both came out of the supply closet looking very rumpled and not a little satisfied."

Something about his naughty grin sent warm tingles through her chest, and Nadine flopped down on the bench to pull on her socks and shoes. "That's so funny. They're getting lucky on hospital time. I never knew Elizabeth had it in her."

"I hear it's the good girls you gotta watch out for," he winked, making her laugh.

"Yeah, right," Nadine huffed, pulling on her scrub shot and banging her locker door shut with her elbow. "You just want to believe that because it feeds into your 'good girl' fantasies."

He looked at her with perfectly feigned surprise. "Excuse me? I wasn't aware I had good girl fantasies."

"A very reputable male source once told me that every man has good girl fantasies," she told him with mock solemnity. "And that they tie into your librarian fantasies. You guys just love imagining a good girl crawling into your lap and seducing you. I have it on good authority."

Johnny laughed. "Well, okay, I guess you've got me there."

"So did they both linger a little or split up immediately?" she wanted to know.

"Came out within a half minute of each other and split," he replied. "Nothing like a little clandestine nookie."

"Oh, shut up," she laughed. "You make it sound so sinister and forbidden."

"Isn't it?"

"Well…" She toyed with her locket and considered it. "Yeah, I guess so, but it's still so hard for me to imagine Elizabeth doing that, you know? The good girl, loved by all, sweet and happy, a responsible nurse, involved with a total bad boy like Jason Morgan."

"What about you? You're a good girl and a responsible nurse and you're involved-" He caught himself just in time. "You hang out with a 'total bad boy' like me. Your words."

Nadine rolled her eyes, choosing not to analyze the vaguely flirtatious note in his voice. "Yeah, but we're different. We're not secretly sleeping together."

He looked like he was readying a retort – and knowing him, it would have been a good one – but Johnny didn't have a chance. Patrick and Robin walked into the locker room together, hand in hand, obviously talking about something serious between the two of them, and stared strangely at Johnny and Nadine.

Nadine smiled politely while Johnny nodded once and quietly retreated. "I was just going. See you later."

"Got a shift to get to," she piped up as he left, waving at the doctors. "Bunch of kids keep getting sick. I wonder what's up with that."

* * *

Johnny looked up from the platter of chili cheese fries he was sharing with Lulu when Nadine entered. It was unseasonably warm, and she was dressed in a knee-length cotton skirt and a tight white tank top that he couldn't help but appreciate as she passed him by, careful not to pay too much attention to him since Lulu was right there.

She placed her order at the counter and then selected a table on the other side of the room, content to skim through a medical journal. A waitress brought her over an iced tea while she waited, and Johnny got to watch her out of the corner of his eye as she sucked on the red straw and then played with it between her teeth.

He was distracted from watching her when Jason walked in through the door, making a beeline for Spinelli and Maxie. Johnny could tell that he was attempting to dismiss Maxie but the blonde wasn't having it and so sat through whatever terse conversation Spinelli and Jason were having, occasionally inserting her own remarks that made Jason glare and glower and pinch the bridge of his nose.

The one person that managed to distract Jason came bursting in through the doors at that moment with a baby on her hip and a four-year old by the hand. Elizabeth Webber smiled at all of the familiar faces, pointedly ignored Maxie, and hurried over to the counter where Mike had her order ready for her.

Johnny pretended to scoop up some wayward cheese with his fry while watching Jason and Elizabeth and knew that across the room, Nadine was doing the same. Having finished with Spinelli, the enforcer got up from his seat and hesitantly addressed Elizabeth.

"Do you, uh…" He tugged on his ear, and Johnny tried not to laugh. "Do you need any help?"

She turned around in perfectly feigned surprise and looked at the kids, then the bag of food on the counter. "Uh, yeah, sure, I'd actually appreciate it. Here, why don't you take Jake, and I'll take-"

It was so perfectly innocuous, the way Jason took the infant from her arms and cradled him against his chest, and the way Elizabeth kept a grip on her oldest son's hand and grabbed the bag of take-out. But Johnny saw how Jason breathed the little boy in as soon as he was resting against him, how he rubbed his lips against Jake's hair and whispered hello, almost like a prayer. He saw the love and devotion in Elizabeth's eyes as she watched father and son, then tamped it all down and headed for the door with Jason in tow.

Johnny licked cheese off his thumb and looked across the room, meeting Nadine's eyes almost instantly. She grinned before lifting her journal so that it covered her face up to her eyes. Lulu noticed the meaningful look that passed between them, and her lips thinned into a grim, tight line.

* * *

Claudia leaned against the door leading into the library, choosing to remain unseen, and watched her brother and Nadine inside. Nadine was sitting on the desk, her long legs dangling just a few inches off the floor, and they were tossing a football back and forth and had been for about an hour.

"I don't know how I kept a straight face around her," the nurse was saying. "She started talking about Jake and I just had to hide my face so she wouldn't see my expression."

"I've taken to avoiding Jason even more so than Sonny," Johnny admitted. "If there's one word to describe him, it's perceptive. He'd read me like a large print edition of Dickens and probably decide that one less Zacchara in the world would make his life a lot simpler."

"Don't even joke about things like that," Nadine scolded, and Claudia couldn't agree more. "But you know, this whole Jason-and-Elizabeth watch…that sounds kind of clunky, don't you think? Jason and Elizabeth? They should have a couple name. Like Brangelina. Or Vaughnistan or something."

Johnny snorted. "Why do they need a couple name? Saying 'Jason and Elizabeth' seems just fine to me."

"But they should have one," Nadine insisted. "Plus, if either one of us is accidentally dumb enough to talk about them when someone might here, no one will know who we mean if we use the couple name. Like…Jezebeth."

"Sounds like the name of Reconstruction-era prostitute."

"Elason."

"Sounds like an adhesive compound used in minor construction work."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Lizon…Oh! Oh! Liaison!"

"There's an extra 'i' in there."

"So what? It's perfect! And it's an actual word, too. Instead of people thinking we're talking about Jason and Elizabeth, they'll think that we just don't know the meaning of a simple English word. Liaison it is."

"I am not using that stupid name. I hate couple names."

"Oh, get over it." She executed a rather powerful pass and caught him in the stomach, making Johnny grunt. "So, did I tell you? I caught Liaison kissing in the hall by the maternity ward the other day."

"…It sounds so weird. Liaison. Li-ai-son. Ugh."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Always."

"Ha ha." She caught the ball easily and tucked it under her arm. "You know, seriously, I always thought it was weird that Elizabeth was such a champion of bad boys, given who I thought she was, and it's such a relief to finally know otherwise, you know? I feel like I understand her so much better, even though she doesn't know that I know what she doesn't want people to know. Does that make sense?"

He smiled and clapped his hands, wanting her to throw the ball to him. "Yeah, it does. And as for me – I kind of get now why Jason didn't kill me all those times he was either told to or had the chance to. It bugged me from the first time he let me walk. I mean, I even lost sleep over it, wondering what the hell was so special about me that Jason Morgan decided to let me live. And the whole time, I wasn't the special one at all. It was Jake Webber who was special."

"He's just the cutest little thing, isn't he? That blonde hair and those big blue eyes…" She sighed dreamily and tossed him the football. "Jason's got the prettiest eyes."

"Thinking of taking up a new hobby?"

She hadn't heard Trevor creeping up on her, and when he caught her by surprise, Claudia hated herself for letting him. "Just keeping an eye on John."

Trevor looked inside and spotted the nurse sitting on the desk. "Seems to be doing all right. Looks like there's another woman around Crimson Manor capable of looking after him."

He was trying to get a rise out of her and it was pathetic. Claudia rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from the doorjamb. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one, especially with all these attempts on his life recently."

"You actually trying to find out who's behind them, or are you thinking of waiting it out and writing them a thank you note when they've finished the job?"

She wanted to strangle him for that remark, but now wasn't the time to rail against the viper. "All I'm going to tell you, Trevors, is that I'm not worried. I know who's behind the hits."

His gray brows lifted in surprise. "Yeah? First I'm hearing of it."

"Sonny and Jason, obviously," she feigned, twisting a lock of raven hair around her finger. "I've already sent them a warning. And if they try anything on John again? Let's just say that I have some leverage that I'm more than willing to use to put them in their place once and for all. Sonny and Jason have a weakness, and if they do anything to John, I'm going to exploit it for all it's worth."

With that, she sauntered off down the hallway toward the stairs, leaving Trevor to stand in the doorway. He turned toward the young couple, watching them play and laugh. The girl caught the football and refused to toss it back, and he watched Johnny playfully lunge at her, wrapping his arms around her, and saw the mischievous glint in his dark eyes.

Trevor smirked at the couple before slowly turning on his heel and walking away in the opposite direction.


	42. 41

**Note – **Can you believe that we've suffered through 41 chapters to get to the first kiss?!

**The Right Girl 41**

Johnny adjusted his hold on the paper sack of take-out from Kelly's and patted his pocket, reassured when he heard the faint crinkle of paper. He brought along a list of items that Nadine had mentioned over time as being needed and appreciated in the Pediatrics wing, and he had taken the liberty of adding on a few of his own. They'd run through the list over hamburgers and curly fries, seeing if there was anything that needed to be added, and with a little luck he would arrange to have everything bought and delivered within the next week.

He mentioned his plans to Claudia, who had railed on about girls using him just for his money and his connections, and when Johnny explained that Nadine never once asked him to donate anything to the Pediatrics department and that this was all his idea, she called him a sick little puppy and pinched his cheeks in a very derisive manner.

Gah.

In truth, there was a selfish aspect to his intended donation – only slightly. He liked adopting any old excuse to spend time with Nadine that didn't make it seem like he was purposely ditching his girlfriend for someone who was…not his girlfriend.

And in truth, there was something lovely about Nadine at night. He had dropped over at her place at this late, late hour before. Even though she had already eaten several hours ago, she would welcome him and his warm takeout in and join him on the couch. He'd scarf down the food he brought, she'd nibble at it, and they'd just sit and talk.

She would be in her pajamas, intending to go to bed when she heard his knock on the door, and wouldn't bother to change out of the knee-length drawstring pants and tank she usually slept in. She wouldn't be wearing makeup, her hair would be rumpled and wavy from reading under the covers, and her body would be limber and relaxed in the late hours of the night.

Her hallway was dark by the time he finished climbing the stairs, and Johnny thought he saw something twinkling on the brown carpet. A closer look revealed shattered glass, and when he looked up he saw that the hall light had been shattered and the bulb broken.

It was strange, but there could have been a logical explanation for it. Her super was hardly the responsible type, and the thing could have been broken for a while, even though he thought he remembered it being intact the last time he visited her about four or five days ago. Or Nadine herself could have broken it, throwing that damn football around like a maniac the way she usually did.

He reached up to knock on her door and blinked when it opened at the first rap. The door had been ajar and the slightest touch had her dark living room slowly opening up to view, and he could see a thin ray of golden light in the distance, peeking out from underneath her bedroom door.

He walked in, not shutting the door behind him, and was about to call out for her when he saw something move. A shadow, perhaps, cast by one of the cars sporting high-beams in the street below? It was a shadow, all right, but it was big and bulky and kept moving…

He put it together in the exact second that was a moment too late. The shadow was indeed a tall, burly man, and what was more, he'd spotted Johnny.

Johnny dropped the food and lunged at him, seeing the familiar glint of silver under the black jacket. There was a clatter by the door, and he saw a second one move in on him. Whoever these men were, they were armed, and they were here for Nadine.

He had almost wrestled the weapon away from the first man when he was flung back onto the couch. He knocked over the coffee table in the process, wincing when he heard something shatter. A commotion, and then he heard the second man calling out for the first as Johnny pounced again.

"Come on, come on, let's get out of here!"

They fled out of the apartment and down the stairs, and Johnny realized it was easier to simply warn Hayden in the street below. His number one guard was on speed-dial and picked up in two seconds flat.

"_Boss?"_

"Two men – dressed in black – coming out in a second. Get 'em."

"_You got it."_

He breathed a sigh of relief and stretched out his back, grimacing when he felt a twinge of pain. Fuck. If Claudia found out that he'd been in an almost-brawl and gotten hurt, she'd put _two_ damn guards on him instead of just one.

But at least he'd scared the two intruders off before they could hurt Nadine. She was still safe and sound, with the light on and the radio blaring in the bedroom, entirely oblivious to what had just happened and why cartons of take-out had spilled out on her floor.

He turned toward the bedroom, taking two long strides forward. "Nad-"

"Yaaaaaa!!"

The bedroom door was thrown open and Nadine, dressed in her hemp drawstring pants and customary tank top, came charging out wielding a baseball bat over her head.

"Aaaaa!! –Oof."

She tried to skid to a stop when she spotted him but they collided anyway, the bat bouncing off his lower ribs, and Nadine leapt back as Johnny _fell_ back. (There was a difference, as he could have painfully attested.) Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared down at him in horror.

"Johnny?!"

He snarled and rubbed his abdomen where she'd glanced him with the bat. "What the hell are you doing?"

The bat fell from her hands with a clatter. "I-I was-I thought I heard-"

Johnny snarled again, pushing himself up and wincing when his side resisted a little. "That was _me_."

She snapped her mouth shut and planted her hands on her hips. "You? What were you doing stomping around my apartment and – and breaking my favorite coffee mug and – oh, look, you got food everywhere."

"_I _wasn't the one stomping around," he glowered down at her, angry with himself for allowing her to so easily clobber him with that damn bat. "You had intruders. Two of them." His phone buzzed in his pocket and he yanked it out, glaring at her as he listened to the man on the other end. "And now Hayden's got them and they're going to be taken care of."

Nadine was staring at him in shock. "I- someone tried to break in here? They tried to-"

"They tried to fucking kill you," he spat, regretting it the instant the she drew back as if struck. "I, uh…fuck. I didn't mean it like that."

She managed a rueful smile. "Well, either they were here to kill me, or they were here to read to me from the Bible. Gotta pick one, and there's no sense in sugar-coating it."

"Hayden's got 'em," Johnny repeated.

Nadine bit her lower lip and peered up at him. "In his trunk?"

He let the corner of his mouth curl up and shrugged. "Probably. But they didn't hurt you, and I'm going to make sure it stays that way."

"What-" She had to clear her throat before she could continue. "What do you think they wanted?"

"Honestly?" Johnny sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If they are who I think they are, they wanted to grab you and use you to get to me and my sister. They wanted you for leverage."

"Leverage," she repeated, and he found that he hated the way the word sounded when she said it. "Right."

He didn't know what made him do it, but Johnny couldn't stand how small and afraid she looked, standing barefoot in the hall with her eyes downcast, picking at her nails with such fierce concentration. He reached out and gripped her bare shoulders, shaking her a little and forcing her to look at him and meet his gaze directly.

"Listen to me." His dark eyes searched hers frantically; for what, he had no clue. "You're going to be fine, you got that? This was a fluke. Don't be afraid, because I won't let anything happen to you."

What he did next, he knew exactly why. She was looking up at him with such trust and devotion, and the truest, most beautiful glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. And that was why he swept an errant curl out of her face, lowered his lips to hers, and kissed her soundly.

Nadine squeaked when she felt his arms wrap around her, felt the pressure of his mouth against hers, and found herself pulled up flush against him. Her arms were trapped between them, her hands flat on his chest, and he was kissing her so fiercely, so desperately that all noise and thought of protest were squelched.

His hands molded to her backside, urging her closer still, and the raw, purely masculine heat of him bled instantly through her thin bedclothes. His mouth moved over hers, hot and masterful, and when she heard a breathless little moan, Nadine wasn't altogether if she was responsible for it or if Johnny was.

Her fingers curled into his thin sweater, trying to cling on to him just a moment longer, but the moment was lost: Johnny was already pulling away.

He was breathing hard and his cheeks were flushed, and he wasn't looking at her. "I, uh, I have to go."

Panic rose up, the thought that maybe he regretted what he did and that he was still very much in love with Lulu and maybe Nadine wasn't that good a kisser anyway and that their friendship was now irrevocably changed, but just when she was nearing the point of no return, Johnny leaned in again and pressed his lips to hers.

It wasn't a hot, heady kiss like the one they'd just shared. It was a simple coupling of lips, the gentle pressure of his mouth against hers as a reminder. He pulled back just as abruptly and half-ran, half-hobbled out the door to see to the two intruders Hayden had hauled in.

The door slammed shut and it was only then that Nadine braced a hand against the wall to steady herself and let out a tremulous breath. Her lips still tingled from the kiss, she was warm all over from the way he gripped her, like she was falling away somewhere and he wanted to keep her with him, and she had to seriously concentrate in order to regain composure.

But before she could stop and begin to process what had just happened and what it all meant, her apartment door was kicked open. Nadine gaped at him, stunned, as Johnny shot her a rueful look and crossed the apartment into the kitchen. One hand still held his side, and she could only watch as he pulled open her freezer, removed a pouch of frozen peas, shoved it under his shirt, and hobbled out once more.

* * *

Elizabeth looked up from her paperwork as the elevator doors opened and was mildly surprised to see Nadine step out with a man almost a whole foot taller than her. He was dressed in black trousers and a thin black sweater that only barely concealed the weapon at his side, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"Cover for me if you see Epiphany."

One of the junior nurses nodded as Elizabeth slipped out of the hub and followed Nadine on her way to the locker room to change for her shift. "Hey, you."

Nadine managed a weary smile. "Hey, yourself. How's Cam doing today?"

"Dr. Scott told him yesterday that he gets his sling off in a week, so he's happy," Elizabeth replied hurriedly. Her oldest son had fallen out of a tree a week or so ago and dislocated his shoulder. "Of course, he's going to go right back to scaling the oak in our backyard once it's off. But, um, what's new with you? Specifically…"

She hitched her head toward the guard and Nadine let out a little sigh. They were in a quiet part of the hallway and there wasn't anyone else around, so she figured it was as good a place as any to talk. There were usually other staff members in the locker room, and the mist from the shower really made one's voice carry.

"That's Corwin. He's my guard."

"I kinda figured," Elizabeth murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. "He works for the Zacchara family."

It was a statement, not a question, but Nadine nodded anyway. "Yeah. Johnny and Claudia assigned him to me again and said she didn't want to hear a whole big thing about it. The first time he was assigned to me, I went to her and complained and she called him off. This time…he stays."

"Oh, God." Elizabeth worried her lower lip and glanced at the man a few paces away. "What happened?"

"My apartment was broken into last night," she confessed, careful to keep her voice low. "Johnny came by with food and he saw two armed men inside. They already snuffed out the hall light and jimmied my lock, and he and his guard took care of them before they could get to me."

The older nurse held a hand to her heart and shook her head. "Thank _God_ that Johnny showed up when he did."

"I know." She paused when she saw Lulu Spencer walk over to the hub, and Elizabeth followed her gaze and then quirked a brow at her. Nadine waited until Lulu was gone before she continued. "He said…he said it was just a fluke, and not be afraid."

"What do you think he meant, a fluke?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I mean, we've been friends for a long time now and no one from his business has ever come after me or made any threats or anything. But maybe Johnny just said that so that I wouldn't be afraid to be around him, that sort of thing. And that's probably also why he put Corwin on me again."

She bit her lip and watched her guard, who had his eyes peeled and was watching all the activity in the hub and their hallway, professional that he was. "I don't know. I appreciate it, but at the same time it's kind of unnerving. You know, having a guy with a gun at my side, holding doors for me, glaring at people that get too close to me. And it seems kind of…excessive. I don't know."

"Well…" Elizabeth appeared to carefully consider her words before she spoke. "Think of it this way. Johnny wouldn't have put a guard on you if he wasn't truly concerned about your safety, and if you didn't matter to him."

"Yeah." Nadine folded her arms defensively across her chest and made sure Corwin was a good distance away and out of earshot. A faint blush stole across her cheeks before she dared brave a glance at Elizabeth. "He kissed me."

The older nurse blinked, momentarily agape at the confession. "…Johnny?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Oh, boy."

"Yeah."

"Like…out of nowhere?"

She pursed her lips together. "Well, he was telling me not to be afraid and that he was going to take care of everything and make sure I was safe, and then he…just…kissed me."

When she looked up, she could have sworn she saw Elizabeth hide just the tail end of a smirk. "And you honestly didn't see this coming?"

Nadine bristled despite herself. "And you did?"

"Honey, of course I did," she smirked. "Why else do you think I was always warning you about being such close friends with a man that was already taken? I've been there."

"With Jason," Nadine murmured. "I…I remember from the night of the ball at Wyndemere. I know you said then that he wasn't your man or whatever, but honestly? I never really believed you."

Elizabeth averted her gaze and nodded once. "Yeah. Jason. He, um, he was involved with Samantha McCall, and we've been very close friends since I was eighteen. You, um, you know from his murder trial last summer that…"

"Yeah," Nadine interjected quickly, mostly to save her friend any undue embarrassment. "Yeah, I know."

"He was still with Sam," Elizabeth shrugged. "They were trying to make it work. And I had feelings for him, too. So I've been there. I know what it's like to want a guy that wants someone else, and how infuriating and confusing all those mixed signals and hurt feelings can be. And I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't. This is something you're going to have to figure out on your own."

Nadine closed her eyes with a little groan. "I know."

"…Did he say anything, you know, after?"

"No."

"Anything about Lulu?"

"No."

"Did he look like he, uh, regretted kissing you?"

"Nope."

"…Are – Are you going to confront him about it? Ask him to pick between you and Lulu, once and for all?"

Nadine covered her face with her hands. "I don't know! I have absolutely no idea."

"Aw." Elizabeth wrapped her arm around Nadine's shoulder and gave her a little hug. "Too bad there's not some kind of manual for this thing, huh? Would've saved us both some trouble."

* * *

Her ex-sister-in-law had always been one of the best-liked nurses in the hospital, always the first to reach out to the newbies and help them along until they got the hang of the job.

And that was why Lulu wasn't particularly surprised to see her talking to Nadine at the far end of the hallway. That girl could use all the help she could get, especially if she was more interested in spending all of her time with Johnny instead of doing what she was paid to do.

But the serious expressions on their faces, and the teary, almost guilty look on Nadine's made Lulu pause. There was no way that she could hear what they were saying from this distance, and if the guard posted at the end of the hall was any indication, something big had gone down.

Lulu checked in at the hub and then turned, heading down the opposite hallway. Once she was out of sight, she doubled back and crossed over, heading to where Elizabeth and Nadine were standing. She came up behind them and though their backs were turned slightly, she could hear them talking.

"Johnny wouldn't have put a guard on you if he wasn't truly concerned about your safety," Elizabeth was saying. "And if you didn't matter to him."

"Yeah." Nadine folded her arms over her chest and seemed to tilt her chin up almost proudly. "He kissed me."

Lulu's nails bit into her palms and she forced herself to keep quiet and listen on. From the conversation, it was clear that the tramp had put the moves on her boyfriend the night before, and she was hardly apologetic about it. And on top of that, she was considering asking Johnny to leave her!

Lulu growled to herself and drew back, safely out of sight of the two women. She didn't trust herself to be near Nadine so she took off down the hallway and doubled back to the hub. She didn't have the patience to wait for the elevator so she took the stairs to the main floor, stomping extra hard on the steps because the loud clacking was almost cathartic.

She was facing Main street before she knew it, and Lulu pulled her phone out of her pocket and angrily jabbed at the speed-dial buttons. Johnny picked up on the third ring.

"Hey." She blew a strand of hair out of her face and strode down the walkway away from the main entrance. "We have to talk."

His voice echoed a little, as if he was in some kind of closed room, but he sounded resolute. _"Yeah, we do."_

"Meet me at-"

"_I've been wanting to talk to you for a while about something important but it'll have to wait." _She heard a familiar clicking and the scrape of metal against metal. _"I've got some business to take care of. I'll call you whenever I'm done."_

And with that, he hung up on her.

Lulu stared at the phone for a few seconds before stuffing it into her purse. Johnny sounded different right now. He sounded…cold. Hard. Determined. And not at all remorseful or apologetic as he should have been, considering he swapped spit with Pollyanna the night before.

No, this wasn't good. He said he wanted to talk to her about something for a while now – it had to be about Nadine. There was no other explanation, given how serious he was.

Lulu cursed under her breath and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, maintaining her brisk pace. Perhaps a walk along the docks would calm her nerves until she was ready to face down her boyfriend and set him straight.


	43. 42

**Note – **My version of events regarding a recent GH storyline. I know it's kind of confusing at this point but it's meant to be and everything will be nut-shelled later.

**The Right Girl 42**

"Get rid of them."

Hayden and Penn nodded and moved forward as Johnny took a step back and unclipped his weapon. He passed his sleeve over the scratched off serial numbers, more out of habit than anything else, and watched as they hoisted the bodies of the two intruders and dragged them out of the warehouse.

Johnny tucked his gun back into the waistband of his jeans and looked around the empty room. A cleaning crew would be coming to wipe off all the prints and clean up the blood that stained the floor. In an hour, it would look like nothing at all had happened.

He had gotten all the information he needed from those men, as well as the other men that Hayden and Penn returned now to drag away. He knew exactly what had happened, he knew why, and he had taken action and prevented any future problems. The bodies would be disposed of, tracks would be covered, and no one would be any the wiser.

He rubbed his palms together and glanced at his watch. Nadine's shift would have started just an hour ago, so there was little chance of stealing away with her for a talk. She would no doubt be busy, helping her patients and dodging Epiphany and over-analyzing that kiss at her place the night before.

He really shouldn't have kissed her.

Johnny let out a sigh and leaned back against a crate, scrubbing a hand over his face. He had absolutely no business kissing Nadine like that…not that he hadn't enjoyed it in every way a man should. She was so beautiful and so soft and she trusted him so completely, and he'd just gone and kissed her as if she'd always been his.

He had to have confused her. She hadn't expected him to kiss her, that much had been absolutely clear from the way she reacted when he took her in his arms. But the way she melted into him, gave herself up to him, that had been impossible to resist.

But it was wrong. Nadine thought he was still in love with Lulu, still committed to her, and playing both ends against the middle as Lulu had long ago accused him of doing. It was a horrible thing to do from that perspective, kissing Nadine like that, making her feel cheap and used. It might have even made her think the worst of him.

As soon as her shift was over, he was going to pick her up and talk to her. They had always been so good at talking about these things – relationships, obligations, guilt, loyalty, true affection – and there was no reason that one kiss should change their friendship that way. If anything, one kiss had made his feelings for her stronger than ever.

But there was still the matter of Lulu, and he knew he had to make things right with her before he sought out Nadine.

Hayden poked his head into the room and tipped his chin. "All clear, Boss. We'd better be getting out of here right about now. Penn and I'll take the guys and make sure the crew gets here. You're good to head back to town, right?"

He nodded and straightened, dusting his hands off. "Yeah, I am."

Hayden nodded and waited for Johnny, then followed him out to the cars. Penn had the Escalade running and Johnny's F&M was hidden right around the corner. "I'll call when it's all squared away."

"Good man," he murmured, already turning around and heading to his car. "Keep it quiet for now – don't even tell Claudia."

"Got it."

He looked around, making sure no one was around, and pulled his keys out of his pocket. This was a clean job, easy enough, but the effects would be far-reaching and deeply felt. With Claudia's help, however, Johnny knew the family would pull through just fine and come back stronger than ever.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, half-hoping it was Nadine, and he groaned when he saw that it was Lulu. He'd just spoken to her half an hour earlier and told her that _he_ would call _her. _No surprise, her impatience had won out.

"Hello?"

"_Johnny! Oh, my God – Johnny, please!"_

"Lulu?" He hopped in the car and shut the door, drowning out the natural hum and bustle of the harbor. "Lulu, what's wrong?"

Her voice was breaking up. _"I – I don't – oh, my God."_

"Lulu." His hand gripped the wheel tightly. "Lulu, just tell me what happened. Where are you?"

"_I – I was taking a walk – and – and I was by the old Taylor building you own when – when – someone fired at me."_

His blood ran cold. Another attempt on the lives of those close to him? Impossible, he'd already apprehended the culprit and put a stop to all of it. Unless this attack on Lulu was something that had already been in place from before…or was planned and conducted by another enemy.

"_There were gunshots and I fell and they hit the wall behind me and – God, Johnny – Kate Howard was shot. Johnny, please, please, you have to come help me."_

"I'm on my way." He snapped his phone shut, shifted into reverse, and gunned down on the accelerator. The tires pealed on the wet pavement, causing the car to skid, but Johnny kept backing up. He slammed the brakes, threw the wheel to the left, shifted gears, and was off.

* * *

"Johnny!"

Lulu was in his arms in an instant, and Johnny held her tightly as she shook and trembled against him.

"You all right?" His hands smoothed down her hair, her shoulders, to her waist, scanning for injuries, checking for blood, and he let out a relieved sigh when he saw she was fine and pulled her into his arms again. "Thank God, you're all right."

"I'm okay," she sniffled, trying to put on a brave face. "But, uh…"

She reluctantly pulled out of his embrace and knelt on the floor next to Kate's unconscious body. The older woman had suffered a gunshot wound to the side and was bleeding profusely. Lulu had used Kate's wrap, which the woman carried in her hands along with her clutch, to try to put pressure on the wound.

Johnny knelt as well, reluctant to touch her, but reached out anyway and checked her vitals. "God, she's in bad shape."

"I – I didn't know what to do," Lulu admitted breathlessly. "If this was a mob hit, should I call the cops? Should I call Sonny? He'll flip out and think you were behind it, and he'd never believe us if we said you weren't. What should we do?"

"We call the cops," Johnny replied immediately, barely even stopping to think about it. After all, a woman's life was on the line and that was all he could think of as he fished his phone out of his pocket. His computer geek – every since finding out about Spinelli a few years ago when she was doing her research in Milan, Claudia began to insist that every organization needed one – had outfitted his phone so that the number and line would be anonymous and untraceable, and he switched the feature on before calling the PCPD.

"A woman's been shot by the old Taylor Building," he said as soon as he was put through. "That's right. Kate Howard was shot and she's bleeding real bad. We need an ambulance on the docks immediately. Yeah, right behind the Taylor Building. Take Maple toward the docks – it's a short cut and it opens out about twenty yards from where she is. Yeah, okay. Hurry!"

Lulu's eyes were dry now but she wrung her hands nervously. "What do we do now?"

He grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. "We get the hell out of here."

"But I-"

He pulled harder and she came along fairly easily. "Now. Before we're seen, before any other passerby finds the body, before the police come – now."

Lulu was further spurred into action by the sound of footsteps in the distance, and she followed Johnny blindly as they ran down the alley to where he'd left his car several blocks away, just to be safe. She slid into the passenger's seat, sliding on her seat belt as Johnny hopped into the driver's chair, and Lulu covered her face with her hands as they heard an enraged, anguished yell from none other than Sonny Corinthos, who had just found his girlfriend's body.

Johnny's lips settled into a grim line as he shifted into gear and sped away.

* * *

"What the hell's going on?"

Johnny momentarily ignored his sister as Claudia marched into the foyer and instead turned to his butler. "Reivers, take Lulu upstairs and get her a fresh change of clothes. Have the maid draw her a bath in the guest bedroom, and make sure she has something to eat when she comes down."

"Right away, sir," Reivers nodded.

"John." Claudia arched a brow at Lulu, who was trembling and miraculously silent, and then pursed her lips. "What the hell is going on?"

"Trouble," he said grimly. "Lulu, please go upstairs with Reivers."

That got a reaction from her. Clearly, she wanted to remain downstairs with them. "But-"

Johnny's dark eyes flashed. "Please."

Lulu snapped her mouth shut at his tone and reluctantly let Reivers escort her upstairs. Once she was out of reach, Johnny headed into his sister's private offices with Claudia on his heels.

She shut the doors securely behind them as he crossed over by the desk and began to pace. "Well? Let's have it."

"Someone took shots at Lulu on the docks," he got out through gritted teeth. "This happened just barely an hour ago. And last night, someone broke into Nadine's apartment, most likely with the intention of kidnapping her."

Claudia stared solemnly back at him. "…Lulu was shot at?"

"Yeah."

"No," she murmured, pushing herself away from the door and walking over to him. "There's more to this. Something more that you're not telling me."

He braved a glance at her and Claudia almost swore at what she saw reflected in his expressive eyes. "Kate Howard was caught in the crossfire. She was hurt pretty bad."

This time, Claudia did swear. She let out a string of dirty four-letter words and swept her hair back behind her ears in marked agitation. "Okay. Okay, no need to worry. We can handle this."

"I'm pretty sure Sonny found her just as we were leaving," Johnny admitted. "He didn't see us – he doesn't even know we were there."

"Won't stop him from trying to pin it on you," Claudia remarked. "God damn. But…you don't think…"

"What?"

"It wasn't us," she reasoned, worrying her lower lip. "I mean, we didn't have any hit planned on anyone today. Nothing. So…what if it was something Sonny and Jason planned? What if Kate being there was a total freak accident? What if they were trying to-"

"Fire at Lulu?" he snorted. "Not likely. Sonny and Jason have a soft spot for her."

"Another nail in their dumbass coffin," she muttered, unable to help herself. "Yeah, never mind, I didn't think that through. And I would say that they were trying to waste you, but you weren't anywhere in the vicinity."

Johnny nodded curtly and headed for the door. "Yeah. Listen, I'm going to head out, get some answers. I just wanted to let you know everything so you were up to speed. Make sure Lulu doesn't leave here."

"I'll call Trevors," she offered, already reaching for the phone. "I tried getting him over to the house earlier, but couldn't reach him. I'll make sure he knows that his ass is begging for a full cartridge if he doesn't get over here immediately."

She had already started dialing, but Claudia looked up just in time to see the look on Johnny's face before he slipped out of the offices, and it was enough to make her pause. She listened to him walk down the hall, his steps muffled by the thick carpet, and heard the unmistakable sound of the door slam as he left Crimson Manor.

Trevor wasn't picking up. His phone went straight to voicemail, so she didn't bother. Instead, Claudia set the receiver back on the cradle and headed out of the offices, curious. Reivers was coming down the stairs and informed her on her way up that he was going to make sure that Cook prepared something for Miss Spencer to eat. She ignored him and took the stairs up to the second floor.

Reivers had put her in the bedroom right across the hall from John's, and the door was partially open. All the bedrooms were alike: the doors in the hall opened into corridors that passed an old-fashioned changing area and opened out sideways into a massive bathroom before the visitor was allowed to enter the spacious bedchambers, divided so that one half held the bed and other things while the other half was used as a sort of recreation space.

She walked down the little hall and saw Lulu's ragged jeans resting on the partition in the changing room. Another few feet brought her a view of the young woman, clothed in a white terry cloth robe, sitting on the lounge chair by the bed with a hair brush in her hand.

She was untangling her long blonde hair, kicking her bare feet on the carpet. Claudia could smell lavender from the hot bath and saw the clothes folded on the bed for her to wear afterwards. Lulu was humming lightly under breath, stopping only when she hit a particularly rough snag in her hair, and didn't look at all like someone who had almost fallen victim to a horrific shooting just an hour ago.

Unseen, Claudia backed out of the room and was soon out in the hall once more. She shut the door to the guest bedroom and leaned against it, not thrilled with this turn of events. Per Lulu's behavior and her brother's almost guilty look earlier, Claudia knew that there was more going on here than she had been led to believe.

Reivers was on his way up as she descended the steps, and looked up at her in surprise. "Miss-"

"I'm leaving," she told him, her words clipped. "Lulu isn't to go anywhere, there are to be guards stationed at the door, Trevor is to be detained in the parlor until either me or John get back, and you're in charge of the house."

He stepped back and let her pass, knowing better than to stand in her way or detain her. "Uh, yes, yes, of course, Miss, but if I may inquire-"

Claudia scooped the keys up from the basket on an end table and glared up at him. "You may not."

And then she was gone.


	44. 43

**Note – **Very short chapter. I should have combined it with the last but I didn't feel like it. And I can't combine it with what's coming next. So…very short chapter.

**The Right Girl 43**

This was where it happened.

Johnny stood a few yards away from a dark, rust-colored stain on the pavement. It was the exact spot where three bullets felled Kate Howard, where he and Lulu knelt by her and pressed her wrap against her side to help clot the blood. The exact spot where the paramedics stooped and lifted her onto a gurney.

There had to be an explanation for why this happened today, why _now_, when he'd already dealt with the root problem. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. This shooting came out of left field, unless it truly was Sonny and Jason trying to kill him, and even that wasn't remotely possible because it had been Lulu on the docks.

This made absolutely no sense.

He stared out over the water and walked closer to the dock, standing just next to the bloodstain. Either there was something bigger, much bigger, going on here and he was fucked from all ends because he wasn't seeing it and hadn't anticipated it, or there was a very simple explanation stemming from a clue or two that he had missed.

Either way, he wasn't any closer to an answer and he didn't like that. Nadine and Lulu were depending on him to fix this. This was something he needed to do if he was ever going to stand a chance at running the family empire.

He knelt on the ground and reached out, his fingertips hovering over the pavement where Kate's blood had been absorbed. He didn't touch it and yanked his hand back just as quickly, standing and moving over towards the water. He kicked at one of the low-standing support posts that barely came up to his knee, trying to think.

If this was something bigger, he would have heard of it. And even if he hadn't heard of it, Trevor in his perpetual smugness would have made sure that he _knew_ he hadn't heard of it by alluding to it. But Trevor would be of no help to him now.

So if this was something that he was missing, then, the only thing to do would be to look for clues. He had already checked out the wall where the bullets hit. Fragments of brick still lay on the ground. All he could ascertain from that was that the shooter wasn't a sniper on the rooftop. The weapon used was most likely a handgun, and the shooter had to be at ground level and fairly close if the bullets were able to impact the brick like that.

But Lulu had already repeated the story for him three times, at least. And she hadn't seen anyone around, and she said no one came forward when she saw Kate Howard hit the ground. And he had to trust her judgment.

…Unless that was what she was counting on.

His brows furrowed and for a moment, Johnny thoroughly resisted the thought. Lulu was telling him the truth; she had no reason to lie to him. She had been an absolute wreck when he came by to help her. She was shaking and crying and trembling and just beside herself, having seen an innocent woman get shot like that.

…Of course, this was also the girl that had seen the violence on Spoon Island and managed to keep her head about her that night.

He hopped up on the support beam, balancing on one leg and curling the other one behind him. He grasped his ankle and stared out across the water, trying to add it all up in his head.

Something wasn't right here, and whether he liked to admit it or not, the preliminary signs all pointed at his girlfriend.

"I thought I'd find you here."

He didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Sonny Corinthos and from the sound of it, several other large, burly, most likely armed men. And in truth, it all happened so terribly, horrifically fast that Johnny barely even got a chance to glimpse his attacker's face before he felt a lance of pure fire strike his side.

"Too bad for you that you picked such a rotten place to die."

Sonny fired three shots in rapid succession as Johnny swiveled around on the support post, his expression grim and tight. Johnny let out a yell when he was hit and fell backwards into the water, vaguely aware of the fact that Sonny and his men charged forward and fired shots into the water just in case he wasn't dead.

The shock from the cold water of the harbor was tremendous given the new wound, and it felt like his body was opened up to the polluted waters and that he was sinking, sinking as he fought to keep from pulling it all in.

He remained underwater, holding his breath and trying to fight off the fierce, fiery pain cooled not even by the freezing water. Bullets hit the waves, coming down all around him, and Johnny tried to clear his vision and head under the planks. Port Charles had an underwater system that usually opened into the sewers, and he knew he'd have any number of places to hide if he actually made it under the planks.

Johnny kept his mouth tightly clamped shut and pushed himself through the water, struggling to gain momentum, and surfaced for oxygen just as he reached the wooden covering. He sucked in a deep breath and went under again, going further this time so that there was no chance of being spotted.

He found a small platform and grabbed on to it with both hands, careful to keep his head low to avoid hitting the bottom face of the planks. The wood thundered and shook above him and he heard more gunfire and a series of hollow clicks that sounded like a pair of women's shoes.

His excellent hearing hadn't failed him, and he could make out his sister's voice over the din.

"John! You son of a bitch, what did you do?"

Another burst of gunfire, turbulent and causing everything around him to shake, issued forth and he could hear the thumping noises and assumed that Corinthos and his men were being forced to back off and away from the area.

When he spoke, Sonny sounded haunted but satisfied. "Your brother shot Kate and let her almost die out here. I just did what I should have done a long time ago."

More shots were fired, and Johnny recognized the hail as being part of Corinthos's cover. His guards were shooting and covering the rear so that the mob lord could make a quick getaway. The click of heels he'd heard earlier raced just over his head, toward the edge of the docks, and this time he could hear his sister's voice clearly.

"John? JOHN! John, please, come up, please, you have to come up. It's okay, he's gone, it's safe now. John, _please_!"

A dull, thunking sound. She'd hit her palms on the wood as hard as she could, and now someone was with her, kneeling with her on the planks as they searched the waves for any sign of his body.

"Claudia, it's not safe for you here-"

"I have to find John!"

"Let us-"

"I'm not leaving without my _brother_! Johnny! Johnny, please."

Her voice broke on the last part and Claudia leaned so far down that he could see just the ends of her dark hair swaying down, almost touching the choppy waves. She called out for him again and again, her voice growing hoarse, and he closed his eyes and clung to the platform.

A whisper now, barely heard above the sound of the water but echoing in his heart regardless.

"John, please."

Still, Johnny remained quiet.


	45. 44

**The Right Girl 44**

Nadine adjusted the IV line taped to Kate Howard's wrist and took down her vitals again. Kate had just been released from surgery and was recovering in the ICU. There had been one bullet lodged in her side that Ian had removed with minimal bleeding and damage, and there was hope that she'd make a full recovery provided she woke up within the next twenty-four hours.

She sighed and tucked her bangs behind her ear, gazing down at Kate's pale face. She appeared tense and frowning even in her unconscious state, and Nadine had to wonder if she ever saw the woman smile.

Granted, she probably wouldn't have much to smile about if she was dating a mobster and in constant danger, either.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she regretted it. Mainly because instead of thinking of Sonny, Nadine found herself thinking of Johnny. Intense, sentimental, brooding Johnny who promised her so desperately, so very sweetly, that he would protect her and fix this.

And then he'd gone and kissed her, and she'd been tying herself up in knots since then because she hardly knew what any of it meant. She would have written it off as him just being overcome with emotion and intensity after the attempted break-in and wanting at least some semblance of control and, dare she think it, possession. But she couldn't attribute the kiss to that because of what he'd done afterward. He'd pulled back, kept his arms around her, and leaned in to press another kiss to her lips before departing. It was as if it was his way of reassuring her that he was thinking clearly when he pulled her to him, that he didn't regret it and that if he hadn't been running out the door, that kiss would have led to something more.

That thought was only slightly reassuring, mostly because of the 'something more' part. He was still with Lulu. She hadn't gotten a call from him, no text messages, nothing, indicating anything to the contrary. Granted, he had been busy trying to find out who wanted to kidnap her and she didn't expect any kind of notice from him. She knew him well enough by now to expect these stretches of no contact whatsoever when he was busy with work, but that didn't make it any easier.

She sighed restlessly and finished her notations, wondering if she could get Leyla to switch patients with her. Normally, she would have asked Elizabeth, but she had a feeling that monitoring a woman who landed in the hospital due to her mobster boyfriend would not help her friend in dealing with her own personal issues. Elizabeth would look at Kate and see herself, just as Nadine now looked at her and saw the dark side of Johnny's world that he'd half-heartedly tried to shield her from.

"I know he did this."

"You had no _proof_, and you went off and shot him-"

"I know he did this to Kate!"

Voices in the hall outside drew her attention, and Nadine walked over toward the door. It was cracked just slightly, enough for her to hear Sonny and Jason as they talked in hushed voices.

"Johnny shot Kate in cold blood, right there behind the Taylor properties. He was getting desperate, trying to prove to everyone that he ran the family business and not that whore he's got for a sister. He got desperate, he got stupid, and he went off half-cocked."

Nadine held her breath and listened on, hearing Jason sigh with barely veiled impatience.

"That's what you _think._ Do you have any hard evidence? His gun on the scene? His bullets? A recorded conversation of him planning the hit? Spinelli could-"

"Damn Spinelli," Sonny hissed. "He has no place in this business but you keep dragging him in. No, Jason. I'm telling you, Johnny shot Kate. And I shot him. End of story."

Her heart skipped a beat and Nadine covered her mouth, unable to believe that she'd heard right. She held herself as still as possible, not convinced that Sonny and Jason couldn't hear her heart hammering through the thick door, and they continued discussing the situation.

"I took care of him. He caught the bullet in his side and fell into the water. We fired at him some more, and that was when Claudia Zacchara came running up with her men. We exchanged fire and she backed us off. She knew what I just did but she didn't even try to kill me – she was more concerned about her brother."

She could hear him snort derisively.

"Too bad for her he's at the bottom of the harbor."

Her heart was thudding painfully in her chest and she felt her knees weaken. In the hall, Jason Morgan appeared extremely agitated with this recounting of events.

"And you're sure he's dead?"

"He didn't surface," Sonny replied, sounding almost proud. "There's no way he could have survived that. And even if he had, he would have been seen leaving the area. It's not like he has a hiding place along the docks, anyway. He would have been seen and would have been picked off right there. No, Johnny Zacchara is dead, and he'll never be able to hurt any of us again."

Jason scrubbed a hand over his face. "If he's really gone, Claudia will make sure you die, too. And she'll come after Carly and Jacks and the kids and me and Spinelli, too."

Sonny snorted again. "I'll kill that whore before she can reload her gun."

She had heard enough. Nadine set the chart down on the cart with a loud _clack_, just so that Sonny and Jason would know she was there and just about done, then pulled the door open. She closed it behind her, not even looking at them, and detached her pager from the waistband of her scrubs as she headed to the hub. Sonny and Jason warily watched her leave, but neither man made any move to address or detain her.

Leyla had gotten her page and came trotting up to the nurse's station mere seconds after Nadine reached it. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I need a really big favor." She set her things down under the counter and made sure Epiphany was nowhere in sight. "Can you cover for me?"

Leyla blinked. "Um…yeah, sure, sure. You have Kate Howard now, don't you? I can take over."

"Thanks," Nadine breathed in relief. She hopped out of the hub and punched the elevator button, not realizing that Leyla followed her until she turned around. "I really appreciate it."

"It's no trouble," the nurse replied quietly. The elevator beeped and the doors slid open but before Nadine could climb on, Leyla grabbed her wrist. "I-I know what you're going to do, and I'm not trying to talk you out of it. Just…be careful."

Nadine stared solemnly back and Leyla let her hand go. Without another word, she stepped onto the elevator and waited impatiently for the doors to close.

* * *

Sonny said it happened right behind the old Taylor building and when she got there, Nadine could indeed see the signs of a serious skirmish.

Namely, Sonny Corinthos's men combing the area and actively working to _erase_ the signs of a serious skirmish.

Discarded bullets were gathered and placed in little containers for presumed disposal, brick fragments were swept up for similar disposal, and most chilling of all, a streak of blood on one of the wooden support beams was being bleached away.

Bile rose in her throat and Nadine sank back against the brick wall, safely out of sight for now.

It was true.

Johnny was dead, shot in the water by Sonny Corinthos, and it looked like Claudia was next.

Oh, God, Claudia. Did she know? Did she still think Johnny could somehow be alive? Did she need anything? Wasn't there _anything_ that could be done?

Her eyes burned with hot tears as she watched the men finish up. The one guard she recognized, Max something or other, gave the docks one last going over and then signaled to his men that they were to follow. They all filed out, leaving the scene behind as if nothing had happened there at all, as if Johnny Zacchara had never been there.

She waited until she heard their engines rumble and heard them drive away before she dared to come out from around the corner. Nadine stood numbly in the middle of where it all was presumed to happen. The sight of it made her feel weak, and she reached out and braced her hand against the wall, yanking it back when she felt the brick bite into her palm.

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the brick had been partially chipped away. There were two bullet holes there, as plain as the nose on her face, and the fallen fragments had been cleared away. But this wall was facing the direction that Johnny had been standing, presumably on that support beam: why would Sonny and his men shoot in this direction?

The only other explanation was when they'd fired at Claudia, but that was farther down. She could see the area from which the older Zacchara girl had come with her men in tow to back Sonny off, and it was pock-marked with bullets and a good distance away from the wall where she stood. Unless one of Sonny's men had ridiculously bad aim or wasn't even _trying_ to shoot at Claudia…

Just what the hell was going on here?

Swallowing roughly, she forced herself to walk across the docks to the pier where Johnny was standing. He was probably balancing on it, one-legged, the way he liked to on the hospital roof.

An uncontrollably morbid urge came over her and before she could stop herself, Nadine lifted her foot and planted it on the support beam. She stood there like that for a minute, convincing herself to transfer more and more weight to that foot, and finally she pushed herself off the ground and was standing on air above the water, her arms at her side and the ocean breeze in her face.

This was exactly how Johnny was standing when he was shot.

She forced herself to keep deathly still, not convinced that in her perpetual clumsiness she wouldn't pitch herself into the waves. Now _there_ was a morbid thought, and she regretted it immediately when her mind was instantly flooded with images of Johnny, wounded and bleeding onto the planks, falling into the water.

There was no way out once in the water – not if one was already shot the way Johnny had been. In all truth, the docks had scared her since she first came to town. They were hardly secure – there were no signs, there weren't any guardrails, and most of the properties along the waterfront were abandoned, so there was no one around to help if someone fell in.

Sometime during her second week in town, she'd seen a bunch of frat boys from PCU fooling around down here. One of them had fallen into the water and flailed and sputtered about, scaring her terribly as she raced over to try to help. One of his friends yelled down for him to hold his breath and swim inward, under the planks, until he came upon the ladder that led up to the next pier over, right by Warehouse 52.

…The ladder that led up to the next pier over.

She almost fell back on her bottom when she tried to hop off, and Nadine braced herself and then scrambled to the edge of the planks, dropping to her knees and peering over the edge. She wasn't brave enough to lean all the way down, but she thought she could glimpse the underwater holdings just under the pier.

If Johnny had been alive when he hit the water, as he might very well have been because he was rumored to catch the bullet in his side, then he might have had the presence of mind to hide under the piers, thus explaining why he hadn't surfaced.

Her heart was in her throat, the only thing preventing her from vomiting over the edge of the pier (just the sight of a large expanse of water made her nauseous), and Nadine lurched back and hopped to her feet, racing down the pier and over to the next one. It was hidden along the entrance to Pier 52 that led up to Sonny Corinthos's warehouse properties.

She made sure no one was around – after hearing what he did to Johnny based on absolutely no evidence, the owner of these piers was the absolute _last_ person she ever wanted to meet in a dark alley; he'd probably accuse her of kicking his puppy and put two bullets between her eyes – and hurried down the alley, hoping that it opened up to some sort of channel to the water below.

Her investigation skills and patience were rewarded. A sewer pipe cover was pushed aside and sat half in its place, and she could see the harbor water glittering through the opening. There was a brown smudge on the side, as if it had been wiped clean of something, and when she searched the ground around it, Nadine saw what.

A streak of blood was clear in the dirt, and it filled her with tremendous hope. If it was Johnny's, it meant that he was alive and at least partially mobile. A few feet away she saw another smudge, and then another a few yards away.

Oh, God. Oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God. She chanted the words over and over to herself as she furiously scuffed the toe of her sneaker in the dirt, wiping away the blood. Sonny's men prowled these piers and if any of them saw it, they'd surely be able to connect the dots and then Johnny would be in even more danger. Right now, he was presumed dead and as safe as he'd probably ever be in this town. Now all she had to do was get to him and make sure he was taken care of.

She didn't let herself dwell on the relief that flooded her; if she did, Nadine was sure she'd burst into tears on the docks as she flailed about in the dirt, looking every bit as mad as she probably was. Instead, she hopped along the trail he left, erasing it as she went, and found herself at the back door to the apartment building he'd selected for his top-secret bachelor pad.

Nadine pulled the door open and headed blindly for the stairs. Grasping the railing, she hauled herself forward and raced up five flights of stairs, taking them two or three at a time. She barely had the presence of mind to check around to see if anyone was there, but he owned half the floor anyway and there wasn't anyone else in sight.

She was panting by the time she reached the door and Nadine groaned when she tested the doorknob and found it locked. Of course it was locked – he was a smart boy who knew someone just tried to kill him. If he was half bleeding to death, he'd lock the door so no one came by to finish the job. Of course, it was that prudent thinking that also kept her, the only medical professional he currently had access to, on the outside.

Nadine knew better than to bang on the door. Johnny probably wasn't in any shape to get up and answer it and take her coat while he was at it, and she'd only attract attention and then people would remember the blonde girl in pale blue scrubs trying to get into an apartment that wasn't hers, and then everyone would wonder just who it belonged to and that was a whole other can of worms best left unopened.

Frustrated now, she reached into her wallet and pulled out her _A Novel Idea_ gift card. She'd gotten it as a gift from Spinelli, who knew first hand how much she loved books and movies, and she wasn't about to ruin her credit card with this stunt. After all, her credit card had a picture of Van Gogh's _Starry Night_ on it.

Elizabeth had taught her how to do this once when she accidentally locked her keys in the supply closet. It was her first week and she really needed the calamine lotion for one of her kids with the chicken pox, and it was locked in the damn closet. Elizabeth had been walking to the elevators after her shift, pulled out her credit card, and had the door jimmied open in about twenty seconds. When Nadine asked her how in the world she knew how to do that, her colleague had blushed and mumbled something about watching _Alias_.

Nadine shoved it through the crack between the door and the wall and grunted, trying to jiggle it into place. She was flying blind here, but at least had a very general idea of how to get it open. A minute and a few dirty words later, she heard something click and was able to turn the doorknob.

Her hand remained on the knob as she shoved the gift card back into her satchel, and held her breath as she pushed it open. If he wasn't on the other side, injured but thankfully alive, she was going to lose it. She was going to big fat lose it because if he wasn't on the other side of that door, then he was bleeding and hurt and at the bottom of the harbor and-

Johnny was on the floor a few feet away from his prized piano. He was soaked through and shivering, half-conscious, and there was a puddle of blood on his handsome hardwood floors. He lifted his head just the barest fraction of an inch off the floor when he heard the door open, and then let it fall back onto his arm when he saw it was her.

Nadine caught just a glimpse of him before her vision blurred, and she kicked the door shut with her heel and dropped down next to him. He groaned when she ran a hand through his dark hair, smoothing it back and away from his face, and he was cold to the touch.

A fat tear hit the polished floor with a _splat_, and Nadine closed her eyes. "Thank God."


	46. 45

**Note – **I get the feeling that a lot of you are hoping for a long rehabilitation period where Nadine nurses Johnny back to health a la Liason, but I gotta tell you, it's not going to be like that. Just thought I'd warn peeps ahead of time. :-P

**The Right Girl 45**

"Oh, Johnny, thank God."

She let her hand cup his cheek for a moment longer than necessary and then drew it back, all business. "We gotta get you cleaned up."

He groaned loudly, every muscle in his body protesting as she eased him down onto his back. Nadine winced, but it was her only show of compassion. When she was in the OR, when she was fully in that zone, she concentrated one-hundred percent on the clinical aspect of it all and did her absolute best to mostly ignore the pain the other person was in provided there was nothing she could do about it. She figured it was better for an injured person to have a doctor that ignored them as they were fixed up, rather than a doctor that held their hand and cried with them while their insides freaking split apart.

…But thankfully, there was a middle ground here.

"You said you had a first aid kit put in," she said, cupping his chin and forcing him to look at her. "Johnny. Remember when you moved in here? You told me you had a special first aid kit put together for these kinds of emergencies. Where is it? Where'd you put it?"

"Cold."

Nadine sighed and smoothed his hair back from his face, rubbing her wet palms on her scrub bottoms. "I know you're cold, honey, but you've got to focus and tell me where it is. Is it in the closet? Under the bed?"

"…B-Bathroom."

She was on her feet in a flash and raced into his master bedroom. The bathroom was to her left and she made quick work of searching the towel closet and cabinets until she found the white case. She filled a plastic cup halfway with water and hurried back to him.

Johnny mumbled something under his breath as she popped open the case and scrounged around for what she needed, and then protested when her hand slipped under his head so that she could prop him up.

"Take this," she instructed gently, slipping a Vicodin tablet into his mouth and holding the cup to his lips. "It'll help take the edge off so that I can fix you up."

He did as he was told and slumped back against her when he swallowed the pill. Nadine set the glass down and gently laid him down on the floor, then set to work.

First, she raised the thermostat. He was soaked through to the bone and shivering – sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit just wouldn't cut it. The heating system clinked and purred, then began to roar, and she could feel the warm air rattling through the new vents. It was a start.

There was a blanket on one of the black armchairs and she grabbed it, shaking it out. She felt her movements were too slow, too sluggish for poor Johnny who lay curled up and shivering on the stark floor.

"Okay," she murmured, half to herself and half to him. "Let's do this."

She tugged on his laces and loosened the knot, then pulled them off his feet. They were soggy and hopelessly beyond repair, so she tossed them into the corner without a second thought. He probably wouldn't want to look at them after this, anyway. His socks came next, and when she squeezed one in her fist after pulling it off his foot, a steady trickle of water splattered on the floor. They were pitched over her shoulder and joined his shoes, forgotten.

Johnny cracked an eye open when he felt her hands on his fly, and he only watched as she undid the button and slid the zipper all the way down, then went to work trying to pull it off of him as gently as she could. The wet denim was heavy and clung stubbornly to his narrow hips, and Nadine grunted as she struggled with it.

He would have laughed at her frustrated little frown if it didn't feel like his whole body was on fire. Nadine, thinking better of it, crawled forward and straddled him neatly, and Johnny found that he could no longer laugh even if his life depended on it. She grabbed his belt loops firmly and, trying to jiggle his side as little as possible, succeeding in sliding his jeans all the way down his legs.

The soppy, blood-stained denim was dumped on top of his shoes and kicked into the corner, and Nadine resolved to set fire to the little pile as soon as she had gotten him patched up and in bed.

His boxer-briefs were soaked through, and for a moment Johnny had to wonder if she intended to divest him of those, too. But Nadine couldn't quite bring herself to do that – though it would have been purely within her right as a medical professional, she reminded herself – and so arranged the blanket over his legs so he could at least be warmed as she tended to him.

His hoodie and t-shirt were an absolute mess. There was no way he'd ever be able to wash the blood out, and she didn't particularly think he'd care to try. Nadine grasped a pair of shears she found in the first-aid kit and neatly cut the drenched cotton off him, all down the front and along the sleeves, and added the mutilated scraps to her growing pile in the corner.

It was when she peeled back his t-shirt that she saw just how bad the damage was.

Nadine sat back on her heels. "Oh. I-I…" She let out a relieved laugh and scrubbed her hand over her face. "Oh, thank God, I thought – from – from all the blood that it would be so much worse."

Johnny lolled his head to the side, his mumbling barely coherent. "I'm a bl-bl-bleeder."

"Like a hemophiliac?!"

"No…" He listlessly dragged a hand up his bare chest, as if doing so required Herculean effort. "I j-just bleed a lo-lot sometimes."

"Two flesh wounds," she murmured, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and gently probing the raw flesh. She didn't pull back even when he hissed in pain. "Close together, not too deep. You've lost a lot of blood and that fall in the water didn't help. Plus, you overdid it just getting back here."

He didn't say anything and she set to work. Johnny's lashes fluttered as she moved back and forth across his apartment, first getting a bowl of warm water, then a few hand towels from his closet. Her hands were surprisingly gentle as she first cleaned the blood off him as he lay sprawled out on the floor, fading in and out of warm, fuzzy consciousness. Every sound, every light, every touch was magnified, but he could tell she was doing her best not to hurt him.

"H-How bad?"

Her blue eyes met his, soft and bright. "You're going to be just fine. And then I'll be on you for scaring me so damn bad, so you have that to look forward to."

Johnny half-mumbled, half-sighed, and closed his eyes. The Vicodin was kicking in and though his side was still on fire, it was a distant, slow burn. Her fingers moved over his flesh like butterflies, and he had the most evanescent sense of something flapping, beating, pulsing, taking him away from the blood and the cold as her warmth bled into him through her scant touches.

Finally, he was clean. The blood on the floor had either soaked into his clothing or started drying on the hardwood, but Johnny was clean. Nadine smoothed down the surgical tape over the thick bandage she used and reluctantly shook him.

"Hey."

He cracked an eye open and the corner of his mouth curved almost foolishly upward. "Erm."

Nadine flashed him an apologetic look. "We have to get you up. You can't stay on the floor like this. We have to get you up and in bed. You think you can try for me?"

Johnny groaned and resisted her attempts to help prop him up. "Merf."

"I know," she sighed, cradling his head and helping him up. "It's going to hurt like a hot poker to the side, but then you'll be in bed and you'll be warm and you'll be able to sleep for as long as you need to. Please? Try for me?"

He grunted and slung his arm around her shoulder so that his damaged side was between them, then used the other hand to brace himself. His legs were weak and his knees wobbly, and Johnny broke out in a sweat as he tried to push himself onto his feet.

Mindful of his right flank, Nadine reached around and securely held onto his waist, helping to hoist him up. They must have looked quite comical, but there was nothing funny about the situation. She wanted him off the cold floor and tucked away in a warm bed. Now that the heat was blazing, the apartment was starting to warm up and he'd be in much better shape.

Once he was on his feet, Johnny stood there for a minute. He wobbled a little, but the vertical position must have helped clear his head a little. He sucked in a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his side as his diaphragm expanded, and his arm slipped from Nadine's shoulder to her hip.

"Let's do this," she suggested, maneuvering the two of them so that one of the black armchairs was in reach. It stood on stumpy pegs that had been filed smooth to avoid damaging the floors, and actually slid a little when he eased his weight down into it.

She grasped the back and turned them smoothly, using the chair like a wheelchair, and dug her heels into the floor and only barely got him into the bedroom. He was much taller than her, and well-built on top of that and she would have had a hell of a time if she had to half-carry him to bed. It was so much easier this way.

He required some assistance getting out of the chair and into the bed but once his head hit the pillow it was as if every ounce of pain and resistance melted out of him, and Johnny relaxed onto the mattress.

Nadine didn't bother trying to pull the blankets and sheets out from under him. That would have only caused him undue pain. Instead, she ran to the linen closet and pulled out a bunch of spare blankets and a cotton sheet, then grabbed a fluffy black towel as well. As he lay there with his eyes closed, his breathing shallow but rhythmic, she proceeded to carefully dry him off from head to toe, then rubbed the water from his dark hair as well for good measure.

Aunt Rayleen was very strict about washing hair: she never let her or Jolene go outside if they hadn't thoroughly dried their hair first, even if it was summer. They weren't allowed to just tie up wet hair, either. Aunt Rayleen said that wet hair was just an invitation for a head cold, and Nadine had never wanted to try to discredit her.

That done, she covered him with blankets and spread the cotton sheet on top to trap all the heat in. His hands and feet were like ice, and he was still shivering from a combination of the cold water he'd plunged into and the exertion of getting back to his apartment in one piece.

Johnny sputtered a bit on the water she offered him but choked it down anyway, and Nadine left him briefly to clean up. She pushed the black armchair back into the main room, dumped all the sopping wet and bloodied clothing into a garbage bag that she then doubled up and tied in a secure knot, and disinfected the floor, making sure to wipe away every last trace of blood.

He was in that precarious, uncomfortable state between sleeping and consciousness when she returned, and Nadine reached under the covers and took his hand. Still cold, but warmer than it had been before. His feet, however, were still ice cold and he winced when he felt her warm hands there.

It was summer, so the harbor hadn't been as frigid as it was during the year, but hypothermia was still a concern. His breathing and pulse were good, all things considered, and she'd followed standard protocol with all the blankets. Now that the apartment was good and warm, she lowered the thermostat to a normal reading, knowing that external heat applications such as radiators and even hot water bottles should be avoided in the case of the patient having hypothermia.

His hands and feet, however, were entirely treatable, due to the fact that even if he had hypothermia it was a mild case. Nadine moved around to the foot of the bed, carefully pulling the blankets up and arranging them around his ankles. With one foot bared at a time, she began to carefully rub it, stimulating circulation and returning much needed warmth to the extremities.

The massage roused Johnny, who actually opened his eyes and looked around a little as if he'd half-forgotten where he was and what had happened. She didn't blame him.

His voice when he spoke was slurred and sleepy. "How – How bad is it – out there? Cl-Claud-ie and S-S-S-"

"Think of it this way," she interrupted with what she hoped was a brave enough smile. "It'll all be waiting for you when you wake up, so why torture yourself about it now?"

Johnny accepted her logic and his head lolled back as he burrowed down under the covers, barely feeling it through his Vicodin-induced haze when his side protested. He had broken his leg during a fraternity prank he and his brothers played while at Oxford, and he'd popped a couple of the pills and slept for a whole week. There was really something to be said for the pleasurable, floating feeling the pills brought on as everything around him bled away into an obscure, filmy haze.

"D-Don't go."

She was back on the other foot now, massaging it firmly. "I wasn't planning to."

"…W-Work?"

"Leyla covered," she admitted. "I asked her to take my patient and she agreed. I think she knew exactly where I was going, too. And she looked scared for me."

Johnny mumbled something incoherent in reply.

"I guess I didn't take the time to let myself be scared," Nadine continued softly. "If I did…well, I don't know how I would have handled the thought that Sonny killed you and left you in the harbor. I couldn't let myself think of that."

"Mmm," he murmured as she arranged the blankets around his feet again. "…You found me."

Nadine smiled at that. "Yeah, I did. Because you left breadcrumbs."

His eyes half-opened in alarm. "What?"

"Not literally," she assured him. "But…there was a trail of blood. I followed it out of the sewer pipe and down the alley and to the back door. Don't worry, I got rid of it so no one else could follow it."

Johnny relaxed visibly. "…I was hoping you'd find me. C-Couldn've done it on my o-own."

"And that's the beautiful thing – you don't have to."

"Mm."

She drummed her fingers restless only the edge of the bed and finally forced herself to move away from it. "You get some sleep, and I'll be right here."

He frowned and cracked one eye open, seeing her take the lounge chair in the corner by the tinted windows that looked out over the harbor. "Here."

"That's right," Nadine replied, crossing her legs neatly. "Here."

"No, _here_."

"Uh…" Her lips parted in surprise. "On the bed? With you? I…think I'm fine, really."

"No, I mean…" He struggled to get his hand out from under the covers and gestured weakly to either his neck or his chest. "Something's…wrong."

She was on her feet in a flash and moved to his side. "What is it? Does it hurt?"

Johnny grumbled something under his breath as she pushed the covers down a little, trying to see what he was referring to.

"Do you need me to-"

"Closer."

She did a visual inspection of his trachea and esophagus in case he had failed to swallow one of the pills she'd given him earlier. "I don't see-"

Nadine didn't get a chance to finish that thought. Johnny slipped a hand behind her neck and gently pulled her toward him, taking her lips in a simple kiss.

This time, she didn't squeak or attempt to pull away. His lips moved sweetly against hers, passionate and hesitant all at the same time as if he half expected her to pull back. But Nadine couldn't pull back. She was just so relieved that he was alive and with her and that he let her take care of him that at that moment, she probably would have given him anything he wanted. It was an awful thought, not very self-respecting of her, but there it was all the same.

And then he did something that actually _did_ make her pull away, and Johnny grinned as Nadine laughed and brushed the back of her hand over her mouth.

"You are _such _a boy," she pretended to grouse, arranging the covers around him now that she knew he wasn't serious about something being wrong. "I just clean you up after you take two bullets to the side, and you try to slip me tongue? Classy, Zacchara."

His smile remained in place even as his lashes fluttered and his eyelids began to droop. "Stay with me. Here."

Nadine idly traced the edge of the blanket with her finger. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, all things considered…"

"Just until I fall asleep," he murmured, sounding halfway there already.

She looked around the empty apartment and sighed. There was probably no harm in it, despite the great big elephant in the room that neither one of them had bothered discussing after sharing a kiss. And laying next to him on the bed would help her monitor his condition better than if she was halfway across the room.

Nadine kicked off her shoes and peeled off her socks on her way to the other side of the bed and slowly, gingerly, climbed on. She crawled up next to him, careful not to jostle him, and slipped under the covers knowing that she'd wake up sweating, but it was all right.

He turned instinctively toward her as she settled down next to him, and Nadine placed her hand flat on top of his bandage. Thankfully, it was dry and he hadn't started bleeding through it yet, and she reminded herself to change it as soon as he woke. Despite the fact that she no longer had any excuse to do so, she kept her hand there on his side.

Johnny let out a slow, almost humming sigh and angled his head just a little closer to hers, and Nadine held herself perfectly still. His lashes still fluttered, the movement almost imperceptible, and she could feel the warmth of his steady breathing on her chin.

She shivered despite the blankets, curling her free arm against her chest, and watched him sleep.


	47. 46

**The Right Girl 46**

"Thanks for telling me; I hope he's found soon. No, no, I promise I'm fine. Don't worry. Yeah. Bye."

Johnny sighed and stretched out, remembering his injury only when it painfully reminded him by curbing his stretch. Nadine was sitting on the corner of the bed, her hair damp and sticking to her neck and her skin flushed. He would have told her she looked nice, all mussed up like that, but her expression was far too troubled for such teasing remarks.

"What happened?"

She turned around, surprised to hear his voice, and reached out to feel for a fever. She must have been satisfied because she drew her hand back and swiped at the tendrils clinging to her neck, and it was then that Johnny realized she was sweating from being under the covers with him.

Nice.

"I, uh…" She cleared her throat and switched her phone to the other hand. "That was Leyla from the hospital."

His mouth felt like cotton, but he was already feeling better. "Something wrong?"

Nadine's expression was visibly troubled. "She said that word just got out that Michael Corinthos is missing."

Johnny's eyes lit up. "Sonny's gone?"

"No, I mean, Michael…his son."

He let his head fall back on the pillows. "Oh. Any idea what happened?"

"Sonny and Jason think it was a kidnapping," she told him. "Leyla overheard them talking when she was taking Kate's vitals."

"Any change?"

"She came out of surgery all right, but no change yet. And she's not showing any signs of waking up."

Johnny watched her play with her phone, her expression distant and perplexed. "You – You don't think that I had anything to do with Michael's disappearance, do you?"

Nadine stared at him. "No! No, of course not. You've been in no shape to do anything since you got back. And I know you wouldn't unfairly target a child just because you hate his father. No, this is something else. Something else entirely."

She shook herself out of her trouble thoughts and flashed him a small smile. "How are you feeling, by the way? How's your side?"

"Feels much better," he replied honestly. "Vicodin took the edge off, and it's much better now that it's clean and bandaged."

"Speaking of bandages, I should change those." She pushed herself off the bed and moved over to his side, grabbing the first aid kit as she went. "I don't want you to bleed through them."

He lifted his arms and let her push the blankets aside, peering down at his bandages along with her. "How's it look?"

"You're spotting through, but hopefully, not that bad." She gently peeled back the tape, pressing her fingers to his heated flesh so he'd feel as little pain as possible as she tugged on his injured side. Johnny sucked in a quick breath and Nadine winced. "Sorry about that."

He nodded, not particularly keen on letting her know it had nothing to do with the tape. "Well?"

"It's clotting well," Nadine replied happily. "Looking good."

She took her time taking off the soiled bandages and applying new ones, and Johnny sat back patiently throughout the whole ordeal. When she was finished, Nadine washed up and disposed of everything the best she could before reaching for her cell phone.

"I can't believe I didn't think to do this earlier," she murmured, sitting down next to him. "She must be a wreck."

"Who?"

"Your sister," she replied. "I'm going to call her and let her know you're all right. Or do you want to call her?"

"No!" He took the phone from her hand and turned it off. "No one's calling Claudia."

Nadine's brows furrowed. "What? Why not? She's your sister, she deserves to know if you're dead or alive-"

"Claudia can't know," he told her quietly. "Not right now. Not until I'm able to fix things. Look, Sonny thinks he shot me and killed me and that I'm at the bottom of the harbor. Now, he'll concentrate on his girlfriend and his son and give me some time to figure things out and take it from there. I just need to lay low for a little while."

"But Claudia-"

"Claudia will know that I'm not dead," Johnny interrupted seriously. "…Hopefully."

* * *

_Later that day…_

"Miss?" Reivers rapped his knuckles on the threshold and flashed his employer an apologetic look as he adjusted his grip on a large vase of flowers. "These were just delivered to the estate. What…What shall I do with them?"

Claudia looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and scowled darkly. "Get them out of here – get them _out_! I don't want to see them. Put them in the parlor, put them in the cellar, let them rot down there, I don't care! Just get them the hell out of my sight!"

Reivers nodded sagely. "Yes, of course, Miss."

She covered her eyes with her hand as he withdrew, willing herself not to cry. She wasn't altogether sure she had any tears left. It had been like this all night and most of the morning: all of their associates across the country and even from overseas sent her bouquets after bouquets, each one with a fucking card that said they were sorry her little brother was no longer among the living.

Sons of bitches, all of them.

She had noted down all their names, not for the purpose of sending out thank you notes, but to add to her Shit List. They'd all get theirs when Johnny turned up alive and the Zacchara organization found its legs again.

There was no way that her little brother was dead: This was what pulled Claudia through the long hours of the night and the morning. Sonny Corinthos was wrong. He was a psychotic little fucker; would it be that outlandish to assume that he was a lousy shot as well? Maybe he only grazed Johnny. Maybe Johnny surfaced while she was fending Sonny off and got away.

All she knew was that she would have felt it if he died. She would have felt it in her heart if her little brother was taken away from her, and Claudia didn't feel that. Not yet. Although in truth, she hadn't really felt much of anything since returning from the docks after calling his name until she grew hoarse. She hadn't eaten, she hadn't slept, she hadn't spoken to anyone, she just sat at her desk and wished evil things on all the idiots sending her flowers because they thought her baby brother was dead.

Fuckers, every last one of them.

Especially that stupid twit, Lulu Spencer. Heinous bobble-headed bitch. It was her fault that Johnny was down on the docks in the first place, trying to find out who was trying to do the world a favor by taking her out.

That stupid bint had long since been kicked out of the house and told to go wherever the hell it was that she was actually wanted, because it sure wasn't at Crimson Manor. Lulu had squawked and shrieked and Claudia had almost backhanded the little wench, only maintaining her self-control by some miracle of God. She hadn't heard another peep from the little girl since and she didn't care if she ever did again.

She hadn't heard anything from Nadine Crowell, either. She was probably busy at the hospital taking care of that fashion-challenged waif, Kate Howard. God, had she even heard? Did she even know that Johnny was…missing?

"Miss Zacchara."

She glared up at Reivers, angrily swiping at her nose with her sleeve. "I thought I told you to get rid of those damn flowers and stop bugging me about them."

"It's not that, Miss. The flowers have been disposed of and will continue to be done as such." His voice was soft and sympathetic and Reivers moved aside a step to reveal that someone was behind him. "You have a personal visitor, Miss. I'll leave you two alone."

He gently patted Nadine's elbow, ushering her into the room and withdrew, closing the doors with him. The nurse moved slowly into the room, her hands in her pockets, her hair in a ponytail, dressed in scrubs and looking absolutely drained. From a long day of work or the news she had undoubtedly just heard, Claudia didn't know.

She stared at her for a few seconds before slowly standing. Nadine waited patiently as Claudia came around the side of the desk, noticing that her eyes were red and puffy and that she wore a very worn navy sweatshirt boasting the _University of Oxford_ typeface over her black dress.

The woman was an absolute mess, and never had Nadine wanted to reach out and hug her than at that time. She wanted nothing more than to assure Claudia that Johnny was just fine and he was only laying low for a little while, but she made a promise to him and she would hold strong and keep from breaking it.

"What are you doing here?"

Her voice was thick, the words slightly slurred, and Nadine clasped her hands behind her back. "I came as soon as I could. I wanted to see how-" She caught herself before she said something stupid. Obviously, Claudia was not doing well.

"I wanted to see you."

The older woman worked her jaw and averted her gaze, looking much smaller and far less commanding in the gigantic office than she usually did. "Long drive from the hospital."

Nadine nodded. "Still."

Claudia picked at her nails and braved a glance at her. "Um, have you – at the hospital, I mean – have any, uh, unidentified – have any people come in that the doctors didn't know who they were and treated them first without-"

Her soft blue eyes shone with sympathy. "I'm sorry, no."

Claudia nodded jerkily and looked away again. "Uh…I guess…Um…Sorry, I'm not really good at this," she confessed. "Do you, uh, I mean, I think we have some food someplace…"

"I'm fine," Nadine replied. "Really. You don't have to go to any trouble for me. I'm just – I'm here for you."

It was a strange thing to say to such a fiercely independent woman as Claudia Zacchara, and Nadine felt strange saying it. But she knew that the meaning behind it was genuine and that she meant it in every way it could be meant.

Claudia stared at her for a few seconds before stepping past her toward the door. "Come with me."

Nadine spun around awkwardly on her heel. "Huh?"

She held the door open and looked over her shoulder at her. "I want to show you something."

Nadine kicked herself into motion and followed her out of the office, down the hall, into the foyer, up the stairs, and down the hall until they were standing in front of Johnny's bedroom. Claudia sucked in a quick breath before she pressed her hand to the wood and pushed, entering. Nadine lingered in the hall for a moment before following her in, and found Claudia kneeling by the bed and tossing a throw blanket off a handsome black chest that sat at the foot of her brother's bed.

She grunted as she pulled it out more toward the center of the room, then stood. Nadine watched as she made her way over to the bed and fiddled with one of the posts. The orb on the top came off and she heard that it was hollow, and Nadine saw Claudia easily withdraw a golden key before replacing the decoration.

Awkwardly, she knelt on the carpet next to the older woman. Claudia undid the two ornamental clasps and then jammed the key into the lock, twisting hard before it gave way. She set the key down on the carpet and grasped the lid.

"My father made this for John," she told Nadine without looking at her. "Carved it with his own two hands. He's had it his whole life. Wanna see what he keeps in it?"

Despite feeling a little uneasy about going through his personal belongings like this, Nadine knew not to insult Claudia with her ethical misgivings. The mob princess grasped the lid and pushed it up until it could stay back on its own, and reached inside to clear out the blanket he kept on top.

"See?"

Nadine's lips parted in surprise. The chest, while containing various items she recognized as family knick-knacks and heirlooms, was filled with all of the things she sent him over the course of their friendship. She spotted a little mesh bag half-filled with candy mints, a copy of Hemingway, her stress ball, everything. The only thing missing was the journal and the pen she had gotten him in the very beginning, and those sat on his desk.

"Wow."

Claudia didn't look at her and delicately fingered the spine of _In Our Time_. "You know, I don't doubt that John was falling in love with you. I'm only sorry he didn't get the chance to tell you before he…disappeared."


	48. 47

**Note – **Thanks for reading and replying, guys.

**The Right Girl 47**

Nadine didn't go back to Johnny's secret apartment after leaving Crimson Manor. She left instructions with Reivers to call her if Claudia needed anything, and even left him with a bottle of pills to act as sedatives if she needed to sleep, having not done so the whole night before. With that, she bid her favorite butler farewell, all the while feeling incredibly guilty about keeping this secret from the two of them, and went back to the hospital.

Leyla, bless her, was still covering for her despite the fact that her shift had ended two hours ago. Nadine quickly changed and relieved her, then got back to work.

Sonny Corinthos was back at the hospital, having 'disposed' of his enemy, and was engaged in deep conversation with Jason Morgan outside of Kate's room. They stopped talking and stood silently, rigidly, as she approached, and Nadine realized belatedly that their change in demeanor was a result of her connection to Johnny.

She did her best to ignore their hard stares and entered Kate's bedroom, marveling at the fact that Sonny even let her stay on Kate's case and didn't immediately request that another nurse replace her.

Kate was doing well. Her vitals were good and her body remained strong. Now, it was just the matter of her actually waking up. Maybe then they'd get some answers as to who really shot her, and what really happened on the docks. And then maybe that rat bastard Sonny would eat crow, though she doubted it. Despite all the mistakes Sonny was supposed to have made over the past couple of years, she heard that he still carried on as if he was the smartest thing out there, and that his word was final. From what she heard, Jason Morgan had long since started acting like the brains of the operation.

She finished her notation on the chart and left the room, closing it quietly behind her. She barely spared Sonny and Jason a glance as she turned the corner back to the nurse's station but then on second thought, lingered just to hear them talk.

"You think it could be Johnny or Claudia?"

"I _know_ it's Johnny or Claudia," Sonny hissed. "My son is missing, Jason. Either it was something that Johnny had in place for right after he took care of Kate, or it's Claudia retaliating for us killing her brother."

"For _you_ killing her brother," Jason grumbled under his breath. "How did you not see this coming? You had to go off and shoot Johnny and now you've put Michael in danger!"

"He shot Kate!" Sonny yelled. "I know he shot Kate, and he deserved what he got!"

"Did Michael deserve it?" Jason ground out. "Did he deserve our enemies using him to get to you?"

"Of course not, Jason." Sonny closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand over his face as Elizabeth came down the other end of the hall toward them. "Look, Max is combing the usual places and he'll call as soon as he finds anything out about Michael."

"Is- Did something happen to Michael?"

Elizabeth was standing behind Sonny now, her eyes wide and fearful, and Jason awkwardly tugged on his ear. "Is he all right?"

"…We're having a hard time finding him," Jason admitted. "We've got guards looking for him, but we think…"

"He's missing and the Zaccharas took him," Sonny growled. "Just like they thought they took care of Kate."

Nadine rolled her eyes and came out from behind the corner, thinking to help Elizabeth and then get her out of there. The last thing she needed was the reminder of what could happen to the children of mobsters at the hands of their enemies.

"Hey."

Elizabeth managed a small smile. "Hey, you. I thought you went home earlier."

Nadine forced herself to look relaxed when Sonny and Jason turned around to look at her. "No, I was on the tenth floor. And then I was with Nikolas, you know, just monitoring him. I'm covering for Leyla right now. Our shifts got switched and she went home a little earlier, so, yeah. Need a hand?"

"Yeah, sure," the nurse smiled. "I just have to hook her up to another round of antibiotics."

"Is that going to help her wake up?" Sonny wanted to know.

"It's going to help her fight infection so that she can wake up," Nadine told him. Honestly, who didn't understand how antibiotics worked? They were hardly smelling salts.

"When do you think that will be?"

"We don't know yet," she told him honestly. "It depends on-"

"It's your job to know!" Sonny snapped. "You're her damn doctors, you should have more to tell me than this 'wait and see' bull shit."

"This 'wait and see' bullshit is the best you have any right to hope for," Nadine snapped back. "It's because of you she's in that bed in the first place, so don't take your anger out on the people here that are trying to fix _your_ mistakes and do damage control for _your_ bad decisions."

Sonny balked at her, and Elizabeth tried to get her to back down, but Nadine was on a roll. "I get that you're Sonny Corinthos, that you're this big, bad mob guy that is used to getting whatever you want whenever you want it, and it makes me sick with embarrassment that I have to explain this to you like you're one of the kids in Pedes, but life doesn't work that way. You make mistakes, you deal with the consequences. Or in this case, your girlfriend deals with the consequences while we scramble to make sure she wakes up with full use of her body. It's not our fault she's in that bed and not showing any signs of waking up – it's yours."

Sonny glared at her, his eyes hard and cold. "Get her out of here. I don't want her near Kate. Get her _out_ of here."

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Nadine asked quietly as Elizabeth took her arm. "Good."

"Come on, honey, let's go," Elizabeth said, tugging a little harder. Nadine saw Jason flash her an apologetic look. "Come on."

Something buzzed and both women and both men checked their phones and pagers. Jason had the winning number and he pulled his phone out of his pocket, showing Sonny the name on the ID. The mobster scowled and motioned for Jason to hit speaker so that he could hear as well.

"Morgan."

"_Zacchara," _came a purr from the other end. _"Claudia, since your apeshit insane boss took care of the other one."_

Nadine could see Jason's adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly. It was as if the man almost wanted to apologize – well, probably not, but his remorse was clear before he tamped it down.

"What do you want?"

"_I heard that red-haired little demon spawn of yours was missing."_

Sonny practically lunged at the phone. "Do you have my son? If you harm one hair on his head, I'll make sure-"

Jason shoved him back and turned away, not noticing when Amy Vining and Bobbie Spencer came up the hallway with Epiphany and Lucky, who was there on police business.

"_Like I said,"_ Claudia continued. _"I hear the little demon spawn went missing. Check the nursery, Morgan. You might be missing one more."_

The line cut and Sonny's eyes widened. He turned and snapped his fingers at Milo. "Kristina and Morgan – double their guards. Go, go!"

But Jason and Elizabeth didn't share his concern, and a cold feeling grew in the pit of her stomach as Nadine watched them slowly look at each other, their eyes wide with fear.

"Jake!"

She was almost shoved aside as both the enforcer and the nurse turned and bolted down the hall to the stairs, frantic to get to the daycare center where little Jacob Martin "Spencer" currently was – or so they hoped. Amy Vining's jaw dropped as she stared at Lucky, and Nadine was almost shoved to the side again when the senior nurse trotted as fast as her legs would carry her to the nurse's station where several other nurses gathered.

Nadine cringed and followed, knowing the cat was out of the bag now. In about five minutes, the whole hospital would know that Jake Spencer was most likely Jason Morgan's son given the enforcer's concern for his safety. Everyone already knew, thanks to Ric Lansing, that he and Elizabeth slept together and that her child's paternity was questioned, and this would seal it.

Harper, Lucky and Sonny joined her at the nurse's station. Nadine shoved her way past the gossiping nurses, even going so far as to glare at a couple of them when they wouldn't freaking shut up, and punched the number for the day care.

Someone on the other end picked up and didn't answer right away, but Nadine had her answer when she heard Elizabeth wail. She closed her eyes and set the phone down on the cradle. Sonny was standing in front of her, his previous anger forgotten.

"What?"

She shook her head. "I don't think he's there."

The mob lord closed his eyes, cursing, and straightened when Jason burst through the door to the stairwell, his expression tight and drawn. "Jake? He's-"

"He's gone," Jason got out. "She took him."

Sonny slammed a fist on the counter top, causing a row of files to collapse, and swore again. Nearby, Harper and Lucky heard all they needed.

"Call a code pink," Lucky ordered, marching over to where Nadine stood. "This hospital goes into lockdown."

Nadine stared at him. "But if you call a code pink, we'll all be locked in, too, and there's a good chance that the kidnappers are already out of the build-"

Lucky growled and picked up the phone, quickly connecting to the hospital's main system. "Code pink. Repeat, code pink in the hospital."

Alarms went off and they could hear the elevator shaft lock into place, and Nadine knew that the doors to the stairwell were locked as well. Jason Morgan appeared close to violence as he glared at the police officer, and Nadine closed her eyes.

Idiot cops.


	49. 48

**Note – **Yay!

**The Right Girl 48**

Everyone knew.

The whole hospital knew by now that Michael Corinthos, Junior, was missing, that Claudia Zacchara might be behind it because Sonny allegedly killed her brother, and that she had retaliated by kidnapping Jake, who was decidedly _not_ the son of Lucky Spencer like they'd all been led to believe.

And on top of that, everyone knew that the next person to die would most likely be the aforementioned cop, because Jason Morgan wasn't handling being caged up in a hospital when his son was missing very well.

"She lied on the stand," one of the nurses was saying at the hub as Nadine finished trying to reason with the police to lift the code and let them all leave and hung up the phone. "She said that Lucky was her baby's father when Ric asked. The whole time Jason was sitting there, just staring at her. Oh, can you imagine?"

"I think it was a really skanky thing to do," another sniffed. "Ugh. I never would have thought she had it in her, but I'll never look at Elizabeth the same way again. That was just a really dumb, really selfish, really skanky thing to do."

"Who knows, though? Maybe the paternity test was wrong and Lucky really is the father but Jason and Elizabeth only _think_ that Jason is."

"It would serve her right, the slut."

"Personally, I think that Lucky's a better father than Jason Morgan. He raised her son Cameron with her – who, also, is _not_ his. He'd give Jake stability and security. Jason would probably just get him shot or kidnapped…oh, wait, he was _just_ kidnapped, wasn't he?"

"Knock it off!" Having heard enough, Nadine whirled around on the gossiping twits and smacked her hand on the counter. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Those gathered in the hub – Jason, Sonny, Lucky, the other nurses, other patients, the police – were slowly turning to stare at her and the women at the hub frowned at her.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Nadine growled, too incensed to care about the terribly rude things she was about to say. "A little boy is _missing_ and you morons are standing around gossiping about his mother? Who the hell cares? It's none of your damn business, anyway. It's between Jason and Elizabeth and no one else. All that matters is finding him and getting him back safe and you _idiots_ are giving all of us a bad name by living up to the stereotype that nurses do nothing useful but stand around and gossip. Thank you for that, Ms. Vining."

Amy, the ringleader of the gossiping group, squawked indignantly. "I never-"

"Well, you should," Nadine replied tartly, glaring at the lot of them. "You all make me sick. If you're going to be turds and gossip about this, do it somewhere where I can't put my foot up your ass."

They would have challenged her but Epiphany came up to the hub just then and smacked her chart down hard on the counter, crossing her arms as she stood her ground next to Nadine. Knowing when they were beat, the other woman walked away from the nurse's station, grumbling.

Nadine let out a sigh and wearily rubbed her eyes. "I don't believe this garbage. Where's Elizabeth? How's she doing?"

"I've got her in one of the waiting rooms, made sure no one else can go in and bother her," Epiphany murmured. "Made her sit down, eat something, have some water. Poor thing, she's almost hysterical. Who could blame her, when her baby's missing?"

Nadine sighed and reclipped her pager to her belt. "I'm going to go see her. Page me if you need anything done."

Epiphany nodded and let her leave the hub, and Nadine was by the elevators when she thought better of it and turned around, heading toward Jason. He was watching her as she approached, knowing she had something to say but not sure as to what.

"I, uh…" He tugged on his ear awkwardly as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her scrubs. "Thanks. For that. Elizabeth doesn't need to hear it."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. And…for what it's worth, I'm so sorry about Jake. You and Elizabeth were smart to keep it a secret because the second anyone found out, that little boy would have been in danger. I'm just so sorry that your worst fear's come true."

Jason's eyes narrowed as Sonny slowly came to his side. "…You make it sound like you already knew he was mine."

To her credit, Nadine didn't flinch away from the question. "I did."

The single word was low and tightly ground out. "How?"

"Johnny told me."

"See?" Sonny Corinthos growled and dragged a hand through his hair. "I knew that son of a bitch wouldn't have any qualms about hurting an innocent child. He wants to get at us no matter what, and he used Jake to do it, that miserable mother-"

"No, it wasn't like that," Nadine insisted, and Jason forced Sonny to quiet down. "Really, it wasn't like that."

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, slightly unnerved by how Sonny and Jason were staring at her. "He – He found out at the hospital one day. He was leaving after a board meeting and – and it was the day Jake had a really bad ear infection and he saw you holding him and calling him your son and, honestly, it doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together."

Jason closed his eyes, and she could practically see him mentally kicking himself, but Nadine continued on. "He told me. I was the only person he told, promise, and he told me to guard the secret and not tell a soul, and he wouldn't either."

She swallowed and claimed a small step forward. "Jason."

He looked down at her, but his vivid blue eyes gave nothing away.

"I know this is the wrong time to beg you not to hurt him, so I'm not going to do that." Nadine lifted her chin a notch and looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm just going to tell you that Johnny wouldn't have hurt Jake. After all the times you saved him when he was innocent and _someone_-"

She glared at Sonny, who glared right back.

"-wanted to wrongfully kill him, he would have wanted to be able to save your son the same way. I know that _you_ are at least smart enough to consider all angles of this before you go off with your guns blazing. Johnny didn't do this."

"No," Jason agreed, earning a bewildered look from Sonny. "But Claudia did."

Nadine didn't have a reply to that.

* * *

"You need to tell Claudia you're alive."

Johnny turned around, in the process of buttoning up his shirt. He frowned and moved around the bed, looking steady enough on his feet for the time being. "What happened?"

Nadine dropped her tote bag down on the unmade bed and folded her arms over her chest. "Jake Spencer is missing."

His dark eyes widened. "What?"

"He's been kidnapped," she repeated softly. "By your sister."

Johnny's lips parted and he sank down on the lounge chair by the window. "Oh, God, no."

"She called Jason up personally," Nadine continued, moving to take a seat next to him. "She said that she heard Michael was missing and that he'd better check the nursery because there might be another one missing. Jason and Elizabeth freaked out and ran to the nursery, and not only was Jake gone, but everyone heard and now they know that Jake's his son."

"My stupid sister," he murmured, closing his eyes. "I can't believe she did that. What the hell was she thinking?!"

"She was thinking that her little brother died because of Sonny and Jason, and she had to make them hurt like she was hurting," she told him gently. "Johnny, you have to do something. Stop all this."

He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by her pager. Nadine shrugged apologetically and glanced at the number, then frowned and reached for her phone as Johnny listened in to the conversation as best he could.

"It's me, I just got your…_what?!_ When?"

She shot up to her feet in alarm. "How? Two orderlies? Wait, they drugged her? But how'd they…through _where_? The morgue?! Yeah, no, okay, I'll be right there. Yeah. I will be, promise."

Nadine clicked her phone off and stared at the floor without seeing it, her eyes wide with disbelief. Johnny gingerly got up from the lounge chair and crossed over to her, gently lifting her chin and forcing her to look at him.

"What happened?"

"That was Leyla," Nadine replied quietly, her voice strangely low and listless. "E-Elizabeth was just kidnapped from the hospital. Right out from under Jason's nose."

Johnny closed his eyes. "Claudia. She's taunting him, letting him see how close she can get without him knowing."

Nadine shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening."

"You need to get back to the hospital," Johnny told her. "You need to have an alibi – you need to be _safe_."

"But-"

"Don't worry about me," he interrupted, brushing a loose tendril of hair back behind her ears before gently gripping her shoulders and giving her a little shake. "I'll be fine. You go first, I'll follow a minute or two after. Make absolutely sure you're seen at the hospital, all right? And avoid Sonny and Jason. Just in case."

She nodded and looked up at him, not sure what she should do. They hadn't talked about the kisses, or the fact that he was still technically with Lulu, and even though she wanted nothing more than to rise up on her toes and press her lips to his, Nadine held off. She liked to think she had that much pride and self-respect, at least.

She managed a small smile and grabbed her tote bag. "Good luck."

And then she left his apartment, wishing she had been able to come up with something better to say.


	50. 49

**Note **– Thanks to my readers for being patient with my mean, mean muse. :-P LOL.

**The Right Girl 49**

He knew exactly where she would go.

Even if she didn't really believe that he was dead, Claudia would go to the spot where she thought he died. And that was why Johnny was prowling the docks right by the pier, listening for his sister's voice or the slightest sound of conflict, hoping that he wasn't already too late.

She had kidnapped Jake Webber, meaning that she knew that he was Jason's son. He had no idea how she found out, and hoped that it was from Trevor because at least then the situation would have been contained. Obviously, her little plan backfired on her when she realized that she had no way to care for the baby, hardly possessing any maternal instincts herself, and had then kidnapped Elizabeth Webber from the hospital for two reasons: first, to show Jason how close she could get to him without his knowing and second, to take care of the little boy.

"You look at that little boy, Corinthos. And you think about how you're responsible for this."

That was it: that was her voice. Johnny let out the breath he was holding and hurried toward the sound of the voices.

"You did this, Claudia, you-"

"_You _did this when you went after my brother for gunning down your little wilting flower," she shot back. Johnny could see her as he ran up, but her back was toward him. One of her men had a gun jabbed in a groggy and disoriented Elizabeth Webber's side, and one held little Jake, who was remarkably calm considering what was going on around him.

There were several other guards, all of them armed with their guns aimed at Sonny, Jason, Max, and Milo, who mirrored their stances, and the only reason that his sister hadn't caught two between her eyes was because Jason was grossly outnumbered. "John didn't do it, the Zacchara family didn't do it. We don't have the time of day to waste on your insipid little waif. My guess? Her assistant shot her face off when Miss Howard said she wanted Splenda in her coffee instead of Sweet'n'Low."

"You're never going to get away with this," Sonny growled. "You tried to kill Kate, you have my boy, and now you're think you're going to hurt Elizabeth and Jake. It's not going to happen. You'll die with them."

"Are you really that thick?" she asked quietly. "Don't you think that's what I'm counting on? I didn't have anything to do with your demon spawn or your Swiss Miss, but I saw you shoot my brother in cold blood. When that happened, I _wished to God _that I had Kate Howard and little Michael Corinthos the Whatever in my clutches because I would have fucking disemboweled both of them in front of you."

Her eyes were hard as they flicked over to Jason. "You didn't do anything to me. You didn't do anything to John. In fact, he used to say that you would save him whenever Speedy Gonzales over here got too trigger-happy. I owe you that."

A muscle in Jason's jaw ticked rapidly. "Then why do this?" he rasped, unable to put his weapon down despite the fact that they were outnumbered. "Let them _go_."

Claudia slowly shook her head. "Can't do it. Their deaths will send a message, one that you'll understand."

"They have nothing to do with Sonny," Jason ground out, his gaze helplessly straying to Elizabeth and his son. "You just said that you have nothing against me, that you owe me. Why isn't that enough?"

"Words are cheap," she murmured. "I owe you, but it means nothing with John at the bottom of the harbor. Just like it'll mean nothing to me when I kill them in front of you. The message is clear, Morgan. _This _is what happens when an apeshit insane fucker like Corinthos is in charge. You were smart not to claim your family during the mob war; you were stupid to let Sonny stay in charge. When he calls the shots, he fucks up, big time. And you still haven't learned that you're the one that always pays the price in cleaning it up."

She straightened her arm out to her side, pressing the gun against Elizabeth's temple. "Maybe this will teach you."

That kicked him into action. "Claudia!"

Though startled, her men kept their guns trained on Sonny and Jason, preventing the two mobsters from taking advantage of the moment. Claudia's jaw dropped when her little brother ran in between the two sides, and her arm holding the gun to Elizabeth's head fell to her side.

"John?"

"You have to stop this," he told her, even as tears filled her eyes. "Claudia, you have to stop this _now_. No one needs to get hurt here."

She adjusted her grip on her gun and tilted her head toward the other side. She was overcome with emotion at the sight of the brother she feared dead, but would have hated herself for even showing a glimmer of that in front of Sonny and Jason. Women in the business got a bad enough rap as it was, so she had no choice but to remain composed.

"A little late for that." The corner of her mouth curved downward. "Someone is not leaving here in one piece. It won't work."

"It can work," Johnny insisted, holding up his hand for Jason not to fire and make sure Sonny didn't. The mob lord kept his gun trained on Johnny, and Max finally reached out and pointed the weapon down even as Sonny struggled with him. "It can. We all just have to stay calm."

"I thought you were dead," Sonny spat, trying to regain control of his weapon. Max looked at Jason, who nodded, and then roughly took the gun from Sonny, refusing to give it back. "I shot you."

"Lucky for all of us that you're not as good a shot as you think," he sneered back. "Because if I was dead? Elizabeth would be, too. And so would Jason's son. And what makes you think that he'd leave you in one piece after what you cost him?"

Sonny looked over at Jason, who kept his gaze trained on Elizabeth and the baby in an armed guard's hold.

"We don't have to do this, Claudie," Johnny repeated. Once he was sure that Jason wouldn't shoot him in the back, he hurried over to where Elizabeth Webber was barely able to hold herself steady on her feet. 

The guard that had his gun jammed in her side glared at him, but Johnny scowled right back and took her arm, pulling her away from him.

Elizabeth stumbled, still disoriented as the drugs took their time wearing off, and he caught her against his side. Steadying her, Johnny let her lean on him for a moment.

"It's going to be fine," he repeated for everyone present. "Nothing has to happen, no one has to get hurt. Here we go."

With an arm still around Elizabeth's waist, he approached Sonny. The mobster glared at him but reached out for her, catching her when Johnny let go and her knees buckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her into him, holding her against his frame. Max, his gun still trained on Claudia, took a step in front of them to shield them in the event that anything untoward occurred.

"No one has to get hurt." He walked back over to his sister's side and reached for Jake. The guard resisted and looked at Claudia. Johnny glared at her and she finally rolled her eyes and relented. Johnny put his arms around the little boy's tummy and lifted him, pulling him securely into his embrace. Jake fussed and squirmed, and he gently patted his back as he started to turn.

"Wait."

Claudia stepped out so that she was in front of Johnny, preventing him from returning the baby. "Before this happens, we have to get a few things straight."

Jason's eyes flashed. "I just want my son back."

"Then you won't have any problems meeting my demands." She gestured to Sonny by waving her gun at him. "From now on, I don't deal with that whacked out motherfucker. I don't to hear his voice, I don't want to see his face, and I sure as hell don't want to be in the same room with him. If we ever have to meet for business, I deal with you. Only you. You keep your boy down, Morgan, or I promise you, I will make things very, very ugly for you and your little family."

When Jason finally nodded, Claudia stepped back and waved her brother forward, but backed him up just in case any of the opposing guards got a little over zealous. Johnny swallowed roughly and approached Elizabeth, who had eyes only for her son. She reached out for him as he held the baby out to her, and let out a little whimper when Jake was in her arms.

As soon as she pulled the baby into the crook of her neck and breathed him in, Johnny backed up until he was standing next to his sister.

"Go." Her gaze didn't stray from Jason's. "You have the little miss and the kid. Now go. Just turn around and go."

"Do it," Johnny agreed quietly. "No one needs to get hurt today. Not in front of them."

Jason glanced at Elizabeth and their son and signaled to the guards. Max and Milo covered Sonny and Elizabeth, and Sonny pulled her and Jake back. They turned only when the guards were in front of them and hurried away. Max and Milo backed up slowly, guns still raised, and looked at Jason to do the same.

Jason looked at Johnny, and a silent look of understanding passed between the men. Jason backed up one step, then another, his gun still raised, until he, Max and Milo disappeared into the alley. Johnny breathed 

a sigh of relief as their guards rushed forward, forming a wall in front of him and Claudia just in case either Corinthos or Morgan came back.

He looked down when he felt his sister's hand on his wrist, and Claudia tipped her head toward the alley. "Come on. The car's just back through there."

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

She wasn't looking at him, instead staring ahead at the partition that separated the back of the car from the driver, and Johnny felt compelled to continue.

"You know, about being alive." He shifted uneasily. "I heard you calling when I went under, but I wasn't strong enough to swim back out there. And I couldn't take the chance that one of Sonny's men was waiting for me. So, I, uh…I crawled up under the docks and somehow got to – got to a safe place that I know of."

Claudia turned to him. "A safe place?"

He looked out the window. "Yeah."

Thankfully, she didn't push him. "And then?"

"I don't know how long I just lay there, half-conscious," he admitted. "Felt like forever. And I was really cold and wet and dirty and I was just hot all over. Turned out I had a bullet wound or two in the side. That – That's what Nadine said."

"Nadine knew."

It was a statement and not a question, but he nodded anyway. "She found me. I don't even know how she knew where to go. But she said that she was on the docks where she heard that I'd been shot, and then she thought of what Elizabeth Webber told her, about the passages under the docks, and she followed one to Pier 52 and – and she saw my blood on the ground."

He could hear Claudia shiver. "She followed it and found me. And she took care of me."

"She knew when she came to Crimson Manor," his sister murmured. "I knew that something was off with her, but I was in no state of mind to play guessing games. She always – she always looked at me like there was something she really wanted to tell me, but she stayed quiet."

"I asked her not to," Johnny told her. "She wanted to tell you that I was alive but I asked her not to. I figured that Sonny needed to think I was dead, and…well, your reaction needed to show you thought the same if it was going to be believable."

He turned to her and took her hand. "Claudie, I'm so sorry. I should have gotten word to you."

She surprised him by nodding. "It's okay. I understand why you did what you did. I would have done the same in your situation. And – And I'm glad you had Nadine around. At least she knew how to take care of you and keep you alive."

She shifted then, turning so that they faced each other, and curled her legs up on the leather seat. "Things have been different since I came back."

"Yeah."

"It never used to be like this." The corner of her mouth curved upward, but her expression was sad. "But ever since I got back, there's been this…distance between us. Distance that kept us from talking, from being honest…even kept you from telling me you weren't dead."

"Claudia, I apologize-"

"No, I know, that's not what I'm saying," she replied. "I just…I hate that we let it get that far. That we didn't do anything about it. There was a time when you told me everything and when I did the same. And we let ourselves get away from that."

She reached out and ran her hand through his dark hair. "There is no one in this world that I'm more devoted to than you. You're the only one in this family that I can even remotely stand. I would _die_ to keep you safe. I'd kill to keep you safe. I'd do everything in between if I had to."

"I know," Johnny replied quietly. "…You scare me sometimes in your single-mindedness when it comes to keeping me out of trouble. Claudia, I…" He shifted in his seat. "Look, I could never show you how much I appreciate everything you do for me. But at the same time, you can't run my life. Even if you think you're protecting me, I have to be able to make my own mistakes. And I have to know that you'll be there to support me without question, with no fear of you trying to undermine me. I have to make my own mistakes and learn from them. And I have."

Her brows furrowed, and Johnny continued. "Because you were right about what you said, about me analyzing a situation to death but being too slow or too afraid to act when it counts. I realize now that I can't live my life that way. Not if this family is going to survive. And – And not if I'm going to be happy."

"For the record, I don't want to control your life." Her voice was thick now that there was no fear of her emotion being seen as a sign of weakness. "I hate the nagging doubts in my head, wondering if I'm doing something in your best interest or if I'm just taking advantage of your position. I want to see you take charge of this family, to assume control. And I will _always _be around to help you if you need me."

"I know."

She slipped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I just want this family to be whole again, John. You and me. We're the only ones left, we're the only ones that count. I just want us to be whole again."


	51. 50

**Note – Yay!  
**

**The Right Girl 50**

Nadine took off her rubber gloves and tossed them down on the tray. With a smile, she tickled Jake's tummy and let her bangs fall on the boy's bald head, making him coo. "You're as right as rain, little guy. I give you a clean bill of health."

Elizabeth and Jason sighed with relief, and the nurse pulled the boy into her lap, nuzzling his very short, downy hair. "Thank you. We were so worried…"

"He's absolutely fine," Nadine repeated, giving her friend a well-meaning but stern look. "And maybe now you'll let Jason watch him for a minute so that someone can check _you_ out."

Elizabeth nibbled her lip, looking like she was going to protest, but Jason shot her a look. "I think you should," he said, taking their son into his lap. The baby sucked on one of his little fists and looked up at his parents, his vivid blue eyes darting back and forth between them. "Just to be safe."

"But I feel fine," she insisted, "really, I do. As long as Jake's okay-"

"Jake would want his momma to stop being stubborn and make sure she's okay," came a gruff voice from the doorway, and they all looked over to see Epiphany standing there. "Nurse Crowell, I'll take over this physical examination. Jason, if you could take your son out into the hall for a bit, I'll try to be as quick and thorough as possible."

Nadine contained a small smile at how Epiphany said 'your son.' It was the older nurse's way of congratulating the couple on being able to publicly acknowledge their love and their child, she was sure of it.

"It won't take very long," Epiphany promised as Elizabeth cast Jason and Jake a lingering glance.

Nadine smiled brightly and headed for the door. "Come on, I'll come with you. It'll just be a little while. Come on, Jake, come on, baby."

Jason looked over his shoulder at Elizabeth and let Nadine pull him out of the room. Jake was still gurgling over her Goofy hat with the googly eyes, and she tickled his tummy as she pulled the door shut.

She flashed Jason a quick smile. "Congratulation. On everything, I mean. On...him."

Jason smiled at that and jiggled his son in his arms, grinning when Jake laughed. Nadine folded her arms in front of her chest, thinking that Jason was one of those men that couldn't even take his son's laughter for granted, considering how much time he'd already missed of Jake's life. It was a sad thought, but at least all that was behind them.

"Thank you." Jason took one of Jake's hands in his, letting the child fist his thumb. "You, uh, you've probably heard about what happened…"

Nadine shook her head. "I've been here. I haven't had a chance to get out again. I – I was hoping a little that I'd get a call from – from Johnny or Claudia – Sorry." She slipped her hands into her pockets when he looked down at her. "I know you don't like them. Sorry. I just…No, I haven't heard anything. But all that matters is that the three of you are safe, especially this little guy."

Jason nodded. He was finding it hard to take her seriously with that ridiculous hat perched on her head. "No one got hurt today. We were all lucky."

She knew exactly what he was trying to tell her, and it was touching. "…Thank you."

Jason nodded and his eyes flicked away from hers for a minute before returning. "We'll just wait right here until Epiphany's done. And there's, uh, someone over there who needs you for a second, I think."

He tipped his head toward the other end of the hall and turned away, and when Nadine looked in that direction, she caught sight of someone lurking in a little nook. Curious, she left Jason and headed down that way, breaking into a trot when she recognized the dark denim jeans and black dress shirt.

Johnny stepped out of the shadows enough to sweep her into his arms when Nadine ran to him. He pulled her against him, almost lifting her up off the floor, and her arms wrapped around him as she held him close, just breathing him in. He smelled like the harbor mist and sweat and blood and something earthy and hot and just so uniquely him.

He rocked her gently, one of his hands tangled in her hair, and reluctantly let go when she pulled back. Instead of pulling away, Nadine reached up and framed his face in her hands, her smile bright and joyous.

"You're okay." She swept her thumbs over his rough cheeks, not particularly caring when his stubble bit into her skin. "Jason said you were okay and you are."

Johnny blinked in confusion when she hugged him again. "Jason said?"

But Nadine was barely listening. "Thank God. Just…thank God. Oh!" She pulled away abruptly and fisted his shirt in her hands. "Claudia! Is she okay?"

He smiled despite himself at her concern for his sister and nodded, smoothing her hair away from her face. "Yeah. Yeah, Claudia's just fine."

"Good," she sighed, leaning into him just slightly. "She has a way of getting herself into trouble, you know."

Johnny smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah, I noticed."

From their little nook in the hall, they could barely see Jason Morgan as he paced outside an examination room with his son in his arms. Johnny rubbed slow circles on her back as he watched them.

"Were – were Jake and Elizabeth okay?"

Nadine nodded, her cheek rubbing against the fabric of his shirt. "Yeah. Jake checked out just fine, and I don't think there's anything wrong with Elizabeth that a hot bath, a good meal, warm PJs fresh from the dryer, and having her guys around won't fix."

She could feel the tension in his tall, sturdy frame as he looked toward the other end of the hall. "And, uh, where's Sonny?"

"I saw him heading out about five minutes ago," she replied. "Something about getting some air. He was with one of his guards, the big, Italian one. Max, I think. He was talking to them about finding his son."

Johnny nodded and gently took her hands in his, pulling them off his chest. "There's someone I have to go see. Will you be all right?"

She shot him a skeptical look, putting him in his place. "I'm always all right. I attribute it to my dumb, stupid luck. The real question is, will _you_ be all right?"

He looked down at his hands in hers, fair, creamy skin against his tan, rough skin, and slowly met her gaze again. "Yeah. Yeah, I will be."

* * *

"I'd like to see Kate Howard."

Leo looked up from his chart as he stood by Kate's bedside. The woman was finally awake and somewhat lucid, but he didn't know how long she'd stay that way. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow that."

Epiphany looked over at him as Johnny's lips settled into a grim line. "Look, it's very important that I see her, that I talk to her for just a minute. I won't excite her, and the two of you can stay in the room the whole time. In fact, I insist on it."

Leo looked over at Epiphany. He was still relatively new to this town while the senior nurse had lived her almost all her life and knew the populace well. She looked at Johnny for a long moment before finally nodding.

"Just for a minute, though," she warned sternly. "When your time's up, I'll throw you out if I have to."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," he muttered, slowly approaching Kate. She looked up at him with dazed, starry eyes, and he lowered himself to the stool by her pillow, careful to keep his voice gentle and soothing.

"Hi, Ms. Howard. I'm glad you're awake and feeling better." He leaned a little closer, clasping his hands between his knees. "Can you answer something for me?"

Kate blinked at him and slowly found her voice. "I…can try."

He nodded at her gently rasped reply. "Can you tell me what happened on the docks?"

Epiphany moved forward. "That's for the police to ask her. When she's ready to give her statement, she will. She's under painkillers now, and she's disoriented. She can't-"

"Michael," Kate murmured, her head lolling to the side. "M-Michael."

"What about Michael?" Johnny pressed, ignoring the senior nurse. "Kate, stay with me. What about Michael? He's still missing. Do you know where he is?"

"Michael…gun," she murmured. "Was an accident."

Stunned silence followed. Johnny, Epiphany, and Leo looked at each other before Johnny swallowed roughly and leaned in again. "Kate? Are you saying that Michael, little Michael, Sonny's son, he's the one that shot you?"

"It was an accident," she slurred. "He didn't…mean to."

Johnny let out a short breath, amazed, but Kate wasn't done.

"Lulu…tried to help him."

"Lulu?" He frowned down at her. "Lulu saw him there?"

"Heard them talking," Kate murmured. "Lulu…told Michael to run away…said it was an accident…Told him she wouldn't tell…if Michael didn't say that she told him…to run away."

She turned her face toward him, her heavy-lidded eyes seeking Johnny out. "Heard…heard her call you and…scream. Then…everything black…"

Her heart monitor beeped as Kate slipped into unconsciousness again, and Leo quickly moved forward to check her vitals. Epiphany bustled Johnny out of the way, noticing his stricken expression but unable to give that precedence over her patience.

He withdrew toward the door, watching as they monitored her condition. Johnny still couldn't believe what he heard, but it all made perfect sense. Michael accidentally shot Kate. Lulu told 

him to get out of there and kept quiet about his involvement, then made up a story about how someone was taking shots at her and Kate got caught in the crossfire.

His hands tightened into fists and Johnny turned away. He walked out into the hall and kept walking, leaving the hospital.

* * *

Nadine offered Reivers a tight-lipped smile when he answered the door. "Hey."

The butler smiled serenely. "Miss Crowell, please, come right on in. Is this an impromptu visit, or have we good reason to be graced with your presence?"

"I got a call from Claudia," she said as he ushered her into the foyer. "She said to get over here immediately. Well, she didn't really say that, but I cleaned it up a little."

"Naturally, Miss." He cupped her elbow gently. "Miss Zacchara is in her private parlor. Allow me to show you the way."

Claudia was standing by the window seat in the parlor, looking out over the extensive gardens. She didn't look over when Reivers brought Nadine in, and the nurse was left standing self-consciously in the middle of the room as the butler left, closing the doors.

"So, uh…" She cleared her throat. "You rang?"

Claudia frowned and looked over her shoulder. "What's with the voice?"

"It's Lurch," Nadine shrugged. "You know…_na na na na…they're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky…_Never mind."

"Are you calling me creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, and ooky?" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

Nadine shook her head frantically. "No. No!"

"Good," Claudia murmured, turning back toward the window again. "You, uh, you want something to drink?"

"Water would be…"

"I'll make you a Kiss in the Dark," she interrupted, moving past her toward the wet bar. "Sit."

Nadine sat. "Um…what's a Kiss in the Dark? And you can, um, tell me instead of show me. I like dudes."

"Cherry brandy, dry vermouth, and gin." Claudia had her back toward her as she set about mixing it up. "Every girl's gotta have a signature drink. I'm sure if I left it up to you, you'd choose something pink with pink floating things in it that even tasted…pink. Try this."

Nadine gingerly accepted the drink and took a sip, wincing almost immediately.

"Too much vermouth?" Claudia murmured. "Doesn't matter. It'll put some hair on your chest."

"I didn't think I wanted hair on my chest."

The older woman ignored her. "Listen, I wanted to…I…" She rolled her eyes, exasperated, and headed back to the wet bar. "Forget it. I think I'm going to need a drink for this, too."

Nadine watched as she got out a glass and started mixing things together. "What are you having?"

"Same," came the bored reply. "It's what I usually have unless I'm out with associates. Can't have a girly drink when you're whipping it out with the rest of the old goats."

She cleared her throat and turned, drink in hand, but remained leaning against the wet bar. "I, uh, I wanted to thank you for saving John's life. He told me everything."

Nadine was on her feet in a flash. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I told him to tell, but he didn't want to and I figured he had a reason that I didn't get, and that it had to do with the business, which was none of my business, and I really wanted to tell you, I swear."

She held up her hand. "Relax. It's fine. I'll tell you what I told John: I understand why it was done that way, and I probably would have done the same thing. It's fine."

Nadine slowly sat down again. "Good. Because I really did want to tell you. But I promised him, and I couldn't break that promise."

"I know," Claudia replied honestly. "You're loyal to him, and I respect that. It's a refreshing change, actually."

"What do you mean?"

She swirled her drink absently in her glass, her expression troubled. "…Don't say anything until I find out more, but I don't think that Lulu Spencer was ever in any actual danger. You know, when she called Johnny and said that someone took shots at her."

Nadine's eyes widened. "You don't? You think she made it up? Why would she do that?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure the little guttersnipe is just crying wolf to keep John with her," she shrugged. "You know, so he can't go chasing after you."

The nurse flushed at that. "Yeah, well, uh…he probably wouldn't have to chase too hard, anyway."

Claudia's eyes narrowed, but amusement made the corner of her mouth curl. "What?"

Nadine snapped her mouth shut. "Nothing."

"Oh, no," the older woman murmured, easing closer like a cat closing in on its hapless prey. "You were saying something. You said he wouldn't have to chase you very hard. That either means that you've already thrown yourself at him – tactical error – and he knows that he can have you if he snaps your finger, or that my brother's been wearing down your defenses. Which one is it?"

"Neither," she insisted. "Well, not really. I just…" She adjusted her ponytail, then took a fortifying sip of her drink. "Remember that night those burglars or whatever broke into my apartment and Johnny and Hayden caught them?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "You mean the burglars you didn't make up, unlike some insipid twits out there…"

"He kissed me."

She stopped and stared at her. "John?"

Nadine wrinkled her nose. "Kind of."

Claudia arched a brow. "Well, either he did, or he didn't. Make up your mind."

"He did. And – And then he kind of ran out. And then we were at his apartment after I bandaged his wound-"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, waving a hand for Nadine to stop. "You did sexy times. Spare me the detailed description."

"But we-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you screwed. Fine. I get it."

"But, really, we didn't-"

"You don't need to draw me a picture." Claudia glared at her until Nadine shut her mouth, then looked wistfully out the window. "Look, I'm going to try my hand at actually caring here, but don't be surprised if I fail miserably and just end up pointing and laughing. At you."

"I'm never surprised at that," Nadine replied dryly.

"I know it's kind of hard for a straight-laced little girl like you," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, "but just hang tight. This relationship garbage…ugh. Just hang in there. It's never easy being drawn to a guy who's with someone else, no matter how tenuous that relationship is. I've talked to my brother about this before, about not leading you on, but maybe he could stand hearing it again."

"You really don't-"

"One way or another, I'll fix it," she replied. "After all, that's what I came to town to do. Fix things. Although, you know, I'm actually starting to think that Johnny can handle fixing things himself now…"

"Funny," Nadine murmured, arching a brow at her. "Kidnapping and threatening to kill innocent kids probably isn't the best way to fix everything."

Claudia shot her a humorless look. "It is if the innocent kid _you_ love is on the verge of being kidnapped and killed."

She lifted her glass to her lips and tossed her head back, finishing off the last of her drink. "You've got a lot to learn about this life, Nadine. But at least, unlike Lulu, you don't pretend that you don't."


	52. 51

**Note – **This story is so much fun for me. :) Also, just so we're clear, Johnny walked in just as Kate woke up from her coma for the first time. Sonny was already outside and didn't get a chance to talk to her, and she slipped back into a coma or whatever as Johnny left. Sonny has no clue about what transpired on the docks when Kate got shot.

**The Right Girl 51**

He kicked at a pebble, watching it skitter across the planks before falling into the water. The docks were quiet at night, and the sound echoed.

His girlfriend had lied to him and endangered several lies in the process. She willingly covered up an incident that landed a woman in the hospital, she allowed a little boy to run away from home and scare his parents to death in the process, she started a chain of events that led his sister to kidnap an innocent boy and his mother and go on some sort of suicide mission (although Claudia had always taken responsibility of her own actions and wouldn't have appreciated his attempt to attribute her stunt to Lulu Spencer) and she had been the reason that Sonny Corinthos took shots at him and landed two slugs in his side.

It was disgusting, and actually made his stomach turn.

He just couldn't wrap his head around it – couldn't figure out how the woman he laughed with, made love to, took care of, could turn around and do something so despicable. And for what? Her aim had been to call him, hysterical, and have him run to her rescue. Was that her way of ensuring that they stayed together? Was she really that threatened by Nadine, that scared that he would leave her for the nurse?

It certainly wasn't a competition at the moment, but if Johnny were honest with himself, he would have to admit that it had ceased being a competition some time ago. Somehow, along the way, he started reluctantly spending time with his girlfriend and eagerly looking forward to the time he could steal with Nadine. It wasn't fair to any of them, but he had been afraid to confront the situation and resolve it.

Claudia had been right about a lot of things. He had been stringing Nadine along, and she deserved better. It was just like how Lulu strung him along when she was still technically with Logan. She had him twisted up in knots, and it made Johnny sick to think that he had been doing the same to Nadine, the last person in the world he wanted to hurt.

And the main reason that he ended up doing so was because of his penchant for inaction. He was a wait and see kind of guy. A lot of that he attributed to his father and his hellish childhood. Anthony made all the decisions in their house, and his moods were so erratic that Johnny, Claudia, and their mothers had their hands full just trying to keep their heads above water when he was on his rampages. Johnny was so used to being the object of his father's actions throughout his life that he found he didn't quite know what to do when he was to be the agent of his own actions.

But it was time to outgrow the Hamlet complex. There was a lot at stake here, a lot on the line, and he stood to hurt too many people, some innocent, some not, if he didn't take charge and start making his own decisions and seeing them through. The only downside, on a psychological level, was that he realized that if he started making his own decisions and acting accordingly, he would have only himself to blame instead of a set of bad circumstances. He would be responsible for his own happiness and his own life, and nothing scared him more.

"Stop where you are."

His heart beat didn't quicken when Johnny looked up and found himself staring into the barrel of a gun as Sonny Corinthos stepped out of the shadows. He didn't start sweating. He didn't automatically start reciting a prayer. He just stared back at him, a little irritated, a little bored, and a little incredulous.

"Don't you have a girlfriend in the hospital?"

"Kate's still in a coma," Sonny growled, "and my son is still missing, and Jake and Elizabeth Webber were put through _hell_, and yet you're still walking around. You tell me, how is that fair?"

Johnny shrugged and arched a brow. "Life's not fair. We all deal. So put on your Big Boy pants and do the same."

"Always a smart-ass reply," he sneered, steadying the gun. "You got away last time, Crazy Boy, but you won't be anywhere near as lucky this time around. This one is for Kate and Michael."

"And this one's a freebie."

Johnny lunged at Sonny, using a strong armhold to latch onto his wrist and push the barrel of the gun away from him. He executed a quick but powerful jab to the kidney, kneed him in the stomach when Sonny lurched forward, and used a chop on his neck to knock him to the ground as he successfully pried the gun from his hand.

Breathing hard, Johnny tossed the gun to his right hand and held it steady on Sonny, who was on the ground now. The mob lord groaned and rolled over, face up now and propped up on his elbows, but stilled the second he saw the gun now pointing right between his eyes.

The corner of his mouth curved up, but the smile, if it could even be called that, came nowhere near close to reaching his eyes. To Johnny, this whole situation was pathetic. Corinthos was like a fucking child that kept whining for a cookie when the adults said no. It was no secret by now, and especially if what happened during the brief showdown earlier was any indication, that Jason was none too pleased with Sonny and was about at his wits' end with the man. Sonny certainly wasn't helping matters by being his usual fucknut self.

"You know, it's ironic," Johnny murmured, his hand perfectly steady as he curled his finger around the trigger, "a Corinthos…kneeling before a Zacchara…on the Alcazar piers. Funny, almost. The metaphorical precedes the inevitable."

His lips settled into a grim line as he glared down at Sonny, dead serious now. "Listen up, Sonny. I didn't shoot Kate. And I didn't make Michael disappear. But you're finally right in thinking that I know who did."

Sonny snarled and glowered up at him, powerless while the young man still held his gun. "All you have to do to find out who shot Kate is ask her. She gained consciousness and was somewhat lucid when I visited her in her room today. Oh, that's right, Sonny, I was there. With her. While you were out causing shit, the Zacchara family was getting some work done. As usual."

His voice was low and tight. "I already asked Kate who shot her, and she answered me in front of not one but two witnesses. Kate will tell you what really happened, how your demon spawn son, Michael Corinthos III, shot her and then ran away, leaving her for dead without even calling the cops. Check with your boys in the PCPD, Sonny. Because _I_ was the one that called them up and told them that a woman was injured and to get to the docks immediately. _I _was the one that tried to clean up the mess your deranged little son made."

He took a step closer, not even feeling the least bit bad for Sonny as the mobster stared up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Michael's gone, it's true, but it's not because of me. Instead, it's because of you."

"No, no, it's-"

Johnny eased forward, tilting his head to the side in challenge. "You think that Anthony screwed me up? Definitely. But looking at Michael is like looking into a mirror because Michael _is_ me for how fucked up he is thanks to his old man. You know, it's almost funny how much you hate me, because that means it's possible that one day, you'll hate Michael just as much for all the fucked up things he does – again, thanks to you."

"That's not true," Sonny spat. "I will _never_ hate my son the way your crazy old man hated you. And Michael is nothing like you!"

He knew that Sonny loved his son, unlike Anthony who always kept him guessing, but Johnny was having way too much fun screwing with his head. "Michael is just like me: a product of a deranged, mentally unstable sociopath who thinks he's fucking invincible – wait a minute. What the fuck?"

Something had rolled out of Sonny's pocket and now rested on the planks, and Johnny kept the gun firmly trained on the older man while he reached down and snatched it up. It was a bottle of pills, and when he turned it over to look at the label, he actually grinned.

"Eskalith." His dark eyes flicked to Sonny's. "This is lithium carbonate."

When the old man didn't reply, Johnny's grin widened. "This is medication used to treat bi-polar disorders."

Sonny remained silent, and Johnny threw his head back and let out a hoot of laughter. "Oh, my God. Fuck me, you really _are _insane. I can't believe it!"

He jiggled the pills, enjoying torturing the man, and smirked cruelly. He was starting to remind himself of his sister, which was a slippery slope in itself, but it felt so good to finally have the upper hand over a man that had tortured him for so damn long.

"I don't fucking believe it," he repeated. "All this time, ever since I got to Port Charles, you've been hassling me at every turn, calling me crazy like my father, who even in his less than lucid state is much smarter than you on one of your good days, and this whole time, _you're_ the one that's insane."

"I'm not insane!"

"That's just what an insane person would want me to think," he replied, feigning seriousness. "So, tell me, Sonny, do you hear voices? Do you see dead people? Is there a big, scary monster under your bed?" He scoffed and shook his head. "No wonder you're such a shitty mob boss. No wonder Jason has to clean up your messes-"

"Jason is my employee!" Sonny raged. "He does what I tell him to do!"

Johnny ignored him, knowing that it would only agitate him more in his precarious mental state as he got more and more worked up. "And no wonder that Jason has to pacify all the associates you piss off with your inexcusable stupidity."

The corner of his mouth curled up. "And no wonder Jason had to raise your family for so many years – since you're such a piss-poor father. Isn't there a law about that in this state? You ever considered just signing away your rights to your kids to their mothers and Jason now, before the state does it for you?"

"No one can take my children-"

"No," he cut in, pretending to consider it and agree, "because they don't have to. You do such a good job of running them off by yourself."

He smirked and backed away, leaving Sonny on the planks with no weapon in hand. "You know, everyone already knows that Jason is the one in charge. Think about that."

Johnny was already on the stairs, and he tucked Sonny's gun under his jacket and turned around, leaving the fallen mob lord where he was.

* * *

"He fucking attacked me," Sonny raged, pacing back and forth in front of the desk that Jason sat at. "He approached me on the docks, attacked me, and pulled a gun on me. That boy needs to be put out of his misery, Jason."

His partner nodded blandly, propping his head in his hand as he watched Sonny pace around their office at the Coffee Shop.

"How much slack are you going to cut him?" he demanded to know. "Are you waiting for him to walk up to you and point a gun in your face? Is that it? Damn it, Jason!"

A knock at the door saved Jason from having to reply. Max poked his head in, and they saw that he was carrying a box. "Uh, Boss, Jason. This just arrived for you."

Jason waved him in. "Bring it here, Max."

Sonny's dark eyes followed the guard as he walked over and set the box on Jason's desk. "You order something?"

He shook his head and carefully lifted the lid. "Nope. You?"

"No." He walked over and looked over his shoulder. "What is it?"

Even Max was interested in the contents of the box, and his brows lifted when Jason reached in and slowly pulled out a black Smith & Wesson. "Boss…that's yours."

He looked back and forth between his employers. "How did that – I thought you said that Johnny was the one that pulled his gun on you?"

Sonny scowled as Jason glared up at him. "You calling me a liar?"

Max wasn't listening. "Look, there's a note."

Jason frowned and set the gun down on the desk, away from Sonny. He reached into the box and pulled out the note, written on simple cardstock in neat block print.

_Tell Crazy Man Corinthos that he's very lucky that I do not harm the mentally deficient, and that I am a far better man than he could ever hope to be._

_Zacchara_


	53. 52

**Note – **I want to thank everyone for all the lovely things you've told me regarding this story. I really, really appreciate it. A week or so ago, I posted a mini-promo on my Youtube channel (humatheguma) about this story. I'm working on a full-length promo which will hopefully be out sometime before this story is finished. LOL!

**The Right Girl 52**

_At the Haunted Star…_

Johnny let himself into the Haunted Star and headed toward the stairs leading up to the Spencer family's private quarters there. Neither Luke nor Lucky took advantage of the suites, but Lulu had turned one of them into her own private bachelorette pad, and it was where they usually met when they wanted to be alone.

He took the stairs up, his steps heavy and determined, and headed down the hall to her room. Johnny knocked on the door and waited three seconds before turning the knob and walking in. Lulu was getting ready for bed and was seated at her vanity table in a thin pink nightshirt, brushing her long hair.

She grinned when she saw him and hopped up, crossing the room in long strides to wrap her arms around him.

"Hey."

Lulu lifted herself up on her toes, the length of her body brushing against his, and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I didn't think I'd see you tonight. Come on in."

Johnny knew exactly what she was up to from her salacious smile and the way she fisted her hands in his shirt, preparing to drag him to the bed. He grasped her wrists gently and freed himself, despite taking a step further into her room.

"Thanks. I won't stay long."

"Sad," she pretended to pout. "I was hoping I could convince you _somehow_ to spend the night."

"We need to talk," he stated simply, refusing to be drawn off track. He kept his voice gentle and his eyes warm, allaying her suspicions. "I'm really glad I have the chance to be alone with you."

Lulu smiled, tilting her head to the side. "That's what the Haunted Star is for, silly. We can be alone here…_all over_ here."

He turned his head away a fraction of an inch when she leaned into him, pressing herself against him, and kissed his jaw. His hand sat reluctantly on the base of her back, and Lulu rubbed his side when she felt that he wasn't responding to her.

"What's up? You're serious tonight." She bit her lower lip. "Problems with Sonny?"

Johnny shook his head. "No, no, I worked everything out. Everyone's fine."

"I heard about what happened to Elizabeth and Jake." She sighed and pulled away, dragging a hand through her hair. "The truth is out. We tried so hard to keep it hidden, but it got out anyway. You've probably heard by now, too. My brother isn't Jake's father."

"I already knew."

Lulu whirled on him. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know you knew," he replied honestly. "And I didn't want to upset you. If your brother and your family wanted to go on saying and thinking that Jake was Lucky's, I wasn't going to ruin that. You all had your reasons for doing what you did and it wasn't any of my business. Besides, you knew the truth and you didn't tell me. We're even."

"But I had a good reason not to-"

"That's not what I came to talk about," he interrupted, taking another step toward her. "God, Lulu. Forget Jake, forget Lucky, forget Elizabeth and Jason and Claudia and Logan and Nadine. Just forget everyone but me right now."

He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, then took her hands. "I know what a special woman you are, Lulu. How strong and brave and smart and quick on your feet you are. I know that you need a man that's going to love you, protect you, trust you, give you all of himself for as long as you'll have him. And I want you to know that I am that man, Lesley Lu Spencer."

Her eyes shone brilliantly as he spoke, but all the warmth and love fled with his next words.

"But not for you."

Lulu gaped at him, her mouth hanging open in a dazed maw, and Johnny lifted his chin. His voice when he spoke was harder, tighter, every word clipped and terse. "I know what you did."

She shook her head and took a small step back, but Johnny was nowhere close to being done.

"I know all of it," he informed her coldly. "And it shouldn't have surprised me because I knew exactly who you were from the start. I should have figured that if you were the kind of woman that would deceive your first boyfriend for me, then you'd deceive me for someone else."

"But I didn't-"

"And this time, that someone else was you." He worked his jaw, reminding himself to stay in control. "I know what you did, how you lied about the shooting just so I'd save you, how you played upon my worst fears and the very worst part of my life to keep me with you."

"You were pulling away, you were spending all your time with that horrible-"

"And I can't forgive you for that," Johnny cut in without losing a beat. "Because that is exactly what my father did to me all my life."

"Johnny, please-"

He wrenched his arm free and turned. "I'm done with you."

* * *

_At General Hospital…_

Nadine's eyes followed Elizabeth and Jason as they came down the hallway toward the hub. Max moved ahead of them and was already jabbing the elevator button as his employer followed.

The little family was more than ready to go home.

Elizabeth had Jake in her arms and was adjusting the little boy's blue hat. He gurgled and reached for a lock of her hair, fisting it and then trying to jam it into her mouth. Jason laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand sitting on Elizabeth's hip as they walked. Cameron, who was in Jason's arms, was so totally over his little brother's cuteness and just rested his head on the enforcer's shoulder, yawning.

Nadine could hear the whispering going on behind her, but ignored it. Her fellow nurses were such busybodies but thankfully, her outburst during the ordeal kept them from doing it too much around her. Epiphany backed her up and made it very clear that such habits would not be tolerated at the hub and should be saved for the locker room or the lounge if the nurses felt they absolutely had to dish about someone else's dirty laundry.

Elizabeth wrapped Jake's blanket around him as they stopped by the elevator, and Jason adjusted Cameron in his arms as the little boy started to nod off. The doors beeped and slid open, and Max ushered them in with Milo bringing up the rear. Elizabeth turned and looked over her shoulder and her gaze met Nadine's.

The two women shared a small smile before Milo gently waved her forward and stepped in as well, and the doors shut again.

Nadine sighed and returned to sorting her paperwork. She was so immensely relieved that things worked out for her friend. She and Elizabeth started getting pretty close, talking about more things, spending more time together, and then this happened and a Zacchara was responsible. It could have ended very badly, but the situation had been resolved and no one got hurt. They all had so much to be thankful for.

It was very sweet, actually. Elizabeth got her bad boy and her family and she was finally happy and complete, no more secrets, no more lies, no more sneaking around, no more unspoken words. And maybe it was time Nadine took a page from her book.

* * *

_At Crimson Manor…_

"John."

Claudia walked into the foyer just as her brother entered the house, fairly ripping off his jacket and handing it to Reivers who went to promptly hang it up.

"Listen, we have to talk." She stopped where she was and folded her arms, her expression hard. "You're not going to like this, but just hear me out before you get angry. I think…I think that Lulu was making all that up about being shot at. It's just a feeling, but I really do-"

"I know." He barely spared her a glance as he headed for the stairs, taking them three at a time. "I've handled it."

Claudia gaped at him as he reached the second floor and marched down the hall, absolutely stunned. Then, when her mind kicked her in gear again, she trotted toward the stairs and ran all the way up. His door was closed so she threw it open and barged right in, only to find him opening the drawers of the dresser in his changing room and throwing his jeans and sweaters into a black duffel bag.

"What…" She looked around, watching him pack. "What are you doing? Why are you packing?"

"I'm leaving town for a bit," he replied lightly. "Can't go without clothes."

Claudia marched forward, standing in front of his suitcase as he returned with his shaving kit. "You can't leave. There's too much up in the air right now! Our issues with Sonny and Jason, their issues with you, Jason Morgan's secret kid being not so much of a secret anymore – plus, the business in general. John, there's so much to do right now. We should tackle it together."

He leaned around her and tossed the shaving kit into his suitcase, then brought his palms together. "Okay, let me bring you up to speed on everything that's changed in the past twelve hours. Lulu lied about being shot. Michael, Sonny's son, was playing with a gun and shot Kate, and Lulu told him that she wouldn't tell if he wouldn't, then she pretended that someone was taking shots at her just so I wouldn't leave her."

Claudia's jaw dropped. "That – That heinous little slag! You leave her to me, John, you just leave that little bitch to me-"

"Claudie." He gave her a look. "It's been handled. I've made it very clear that she is not a part of my life, and she'd be stupid to even come near me, knowing that I know all of what she did. She has no place in my life anymore."

His sister was still seething. "Heinous little…"

"Michael Corinthos obviously wasn't kidnapped," he continued. "And Sonny and Jason know it now. Sonny's been humiliated enough – his kid's a fuck-up and he's a mental case. He's not going to cause any more problems for us right now. Or, he might, but Jason's just about had it with him, so he'll keep a close eye on him. And Jason won't come after us because of what I did for Jake and Elizabeth. It's up to them to find that little asshole kid, Michael, now. It's not our problem.

"And anyway…" He turned and headed back to his changing room. "I have something in place with Jason that will keep all of us safe for the foreseeable future."

His sister leaned against the post of his bed. "What about those attempts on your life? What makes you think you'll be safe if you're alone and unprotected, wherever it is that you're going?"

She couldn't see him, but his voice carried. "What _about_ those attempts on my life?"

"I think Trevors was behind it," Claudia admitted. "I think he was the one trying to kill you."

He emerged from his dressing chambers with socks and underwear. "He was. And I've handled it."

The corner of her mouth curled up. "What'd you do, waste him?"

"Actually…" Johnny shrugged. "Yeah."

Claudia's lips parted in surprise. "You – You're serious? You killed him?"

He nodded. "He tried to kill me repeatedly in his plan to take over the family. You were next on his list. He was going to make it look like Sonny was responsible and then assume the role of the head of the family as the grieving, loyal attorney and advisor. He was also the one that sent those men to grab Nadine as leverage, again, making it look like Sonny was behind it so that I would attack Sonny and he'd kill me."

Johnny shrugged again. "So I've taken care of it. Trevor is gone now. And I'm banking on the fact that you know by now where he keeps things."

She smiled when he laughed. "We're going to need a new attorney. Got anyone in mind?"

"I actually like his son," Johnny admitted. "Ric Lansing. Yale educated, former DA, experience in this line of work. Plus, he's Sonny's brother. It's almost poetic. Try to get him, but if it doesn't work out, I trust your judgment. Go with who you think would be best."

"I'm surprised you want someone that shares Trevors's black, black blood."

He smirked. "Well, Trevor came into the possession of the Alcazar piers shortly before I asked him to meet me at the warehouse. So now we own those piers. Ric never got along with Sonny; he was badly abused and humiliated by him in this town. Add that to the fact that Sonny paid off his girlfriend, Marianna, to get him those piers while Trevor was also paying her off…Let's just say that Ric has a score to settle and something to prove, so he'll be useful to us.

"Plus…" His dark eyes flicked up to hers. "He has a family, a little girl of his own, and we can remind him of that if his loyalties ever shift."

Claudia smiled sadly. "You know, using innocent kids as bait, just like we were used when we were little, is something that I would be much more likely to do than you, John."

"It would always be my absolute last resort," he said quietly. "But I know that hardly any organization operates by the 'code' anymore. If that was true, I wouldn't have been shot at while on the docks simply because Nadine was present. That was Trevor, true, but still. If that were true, Faith Roscoe wouldn't have kidnapped Sonny's kids all those years ago. Joseph Sorel would not have placed a bomb in Elizabeth Webber's studio."

"And Elizabeth Webber and her son would not have been kidnapped," Claudia finished, rolling her eyes. "Guilty as charged."

"You're never guilty," Johnny smirked. "Not when you think what you did was right. But, Claudie, what I'm saying is, I'm not blind to the way the business is run these days. It's either put put up, or be put down. And I intend to stay in the game."

"By leaving."

He arched a brow at her and picked up his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. "Yeah. But at least I'm leaving you in charge, aren't I?"

* * *

_At General Hospital…_

Nadine clocked out and put away the last of her binders. The hub cleared off, she headed to the locker room to quickly change into her street clothes and get out of the hospital. It had been a long shift, a long ordeal, and she was so happy to get out. The first thing she'd do was pay Johnny a little visit. There were so many things that remained unclear between them, and she at least wanted a chance to put herself out there.

It would suck if he wasn't ready to take that leap the way she was, but what really mattered to Nadine was that she was ready to stand up and make a move for what she wanted, even if she rocked the boat.

She tossed her white sweater over her arm and hurried down the hall toward the elevators. She was just about to step into the hub again when a tall man dressed in a suit stepped in her path. Nadine gasped, but he just smiled down at her and offered her a letter.

"For you, Miss Crowell. Have a good evening."

She watched him walk away and slowly approached the nurses' station. Setting her things down on the counter, she used a pen to slit the envelope open. A silver key fell to the counter with a loud clatter.

_Things are up in the air right now, and I realized that I needed to get away for a little while. I insist that you remain under the protection of one of our bodyguards, and Claudia agrees. If anything happens, I need you to get a hold of her as soon as possible; she's promised to help in any way she can. And here's a copy of the key to my place by the docks. Just because I want you to have it if you need to get away, too._

_JZ._

She had to read the note three times until the meaning sank in. Johnny was gone. He probably left as soon as he gave the instructions to deliver this note.

With a disappointed sigh, Nadine shoved the key and the envelope into her pocket, not caring when she heard it wrinkle, picked up her stuff, and wearily pressed the elevator button. It looked like only one nurse got her bad boy this go around.


	54. 53

**The Right Girl 53**

The next morning, Nadine decided to stop by Kelly's for her very last cup of coffee. She realized not too long ago that she was hopelessly addicted, and had determined to quit immediately, cold turkey, just to see if she could do it. She would be quitting immediately after this one last cup.

And a good thing, too. She'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, and barely got an hour's worth of fitful sleep. Her thoughts and her dreams had been occupied by the events of the day before. The kidnapping, the shooting on the docks, finding Johnny bloodied and barely conscious in his apartment, and receiving the note stating that he was gone. She hated it, but she had become one of those girls that she had always mocked: the kind that couldn't stop thinking about a certain boy and wondering what it was that made him leave.

He said that things were up in the air. If things were up in the air, why leave abruptly? His reasons had to pertain to her, they just had to. Things had been different between them since he kissed her at her apartment and then again at his, and neither one could pretend otherwise anymore.

She would need a considerable jolt if she was going to forget all those ugly, doubting thoughts and get through her shift at the hospital today. Maybe Leyla would be available to put on a puppet show. Talking in an obnoxious, nasally British accent always served to distract her from whatever was going on in her life at the time.

"Here you are, honey," Mike smiled, handing her a cup of coffee and a raspberry tart. "On the house."

Nadine smiled. "Thanks bunches. Have a great day."

"You, too."

"You little bitch."

Nadine had just taken a bite of her tart and turned around, her teeth still in the gooey jam and sugar-rolled dough, to find Lulu Spencer standing in the doorway of the diner and glaring daggers at her. She sputtered, making a horribly unlady-like sound right into the raspberry jam, and Lulu stomped over toward her.

"You two-faced little skank, I bet you're real happy now-"

Corwin stepped in front of her and barred Nadine from Lulu's path, reaching for her elbow and pulling her alongside him. He made sure that Lulu couldn't get close as he ushered Nadine quickly out of the restaurant, not letting her stop and take notice of how many people were staring.

But Nadine felt their eyes on her anyway and cringed, trying to shake off the dirty feeling. Lulu had obviously heard that Johnny left town and since they probably didn't part on good terms, she was going to blame her for that. Why was it that girls always blamed the chick their guy was allegedly cheating on them with instead of blaming the guy?

She shuddered again and looked down at her raspberry tart. She didn't want it anymore, but Mike had been so nice that she figured she'd better. Plus, there were starving kids in the world.

She took a big bite of the tart and looked up at her guard, speaking around it. "Well, here we go. Work, sweet work."

* * *

By now, the entire hospital was abuzz about Jake's kidnapping and the shoot-out that Johnny Zacchara had successfully diffused. Nikolas Cassidine was the only person that didn't interrogate her about it.

"So what has you so dejected today?"

She tucked the blanket in around his feet and shrugged with a sad smile. "Nothing in particular."

"Nadine."

"It's just…" She tucked her bangs back, out of her face. "It's been a weird couple of days. Everything with – with…"

Nadine lowered her voice. "With the shooting, and taking care of Johnny, and then Elizabeth and Jake going missing…"

She shook her head. "It's been a really weird couple of days. And Johnny left town yesterday, so…"

"He left town?" Nikolas apparently hadn't heard this; surprising, since Amy Vining was making the rounds. "What for? Did he come talk to you?"

Nadine shook her head sadly. "Nope. He just disappeared. Well, he did write me a letter. And give me a key to his place. But honestly, still, what a-"

"Well, I don't know." The prince shrugged. "If he gave you a key to his place…I think that's his way of making up for it. So are you, ahem, are you two an item now?"

"You mean are we a two-straws-in-a-milkshake kind of couple?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "No. I don't know what we are. He's just…gone."

"Well-"

But Nadine was in no mood to hear Nikolas analyze her stupid boy problems. Or more like her 'stupid boy' problems. She didn't even hear him when he tried to speak up and instead turned for the door.

"I got a few rounds to make," was all he heard her say over her shoulder. "I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

The first thing she did when she arrived back at her place was to check her answering machine. It was clean. No one had called, no one sent her a text or an email or anything. Nadine sighed and dropped her bag on the floor, not at all liking how disappointed she felt, as if she expected Johnny to call her.

But the sad part was that she had. She wanted to hear his voice, to hear that he was okay, to hear that he was good.

Truth be told, she just wanted to be with him, to get some kind of sign that things were okay with them and that even if they couldn't move on to being something more, they could always be friends. Nadine valued his friendship more than she could say, and the thought of not having that anymore didn't sit well with her.

One of her super's cats – probably the poor little guy that got stuck playing Mariah Carey's character when the psycho put on a kitty production of 'Glitter' – was clawing at her door, wanting to be let in where it was safe and Mariah-Carey-free. Nadine ignored the sound and shuffled off toward her bedroom, too tired to make dinner.

Thankfully, lunch had been a big affair. A bigger affair than she had planned. She had been sitting in the cafeteria with her salad and a medical journal, reading the same page over and over because she just couldn't keep the words straight, when Leyla, Regina, and Kelly ambushed her. They had enough food on their lunch trays for an army, including a vast assortment of cookies and cupcakes, the likes of which could only be found in the hospital. They'd done a fabulous job of cheering her up, and Nadine had hopped around for the rest of her shift.

But now the long day was over, and she was tired and bored and listless, hoping for a little something to surprise her, awaken her, move her.

Instead, the only thing on her answering machine was a lonely beep, and the only thing outside her door was a psychologically traumatized cat.

* * *

Nadine adjusted her hold on the box of brownies and looked up at Corwin as he ushered her into his car. "Next stop, Harborview Towers."

He arched a brow at her. "You do realize that the Giambetti brothers are trained to shoot me, sight-unseen, right?"

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Aw, Care Bear, they're not going to shoot you."

"I really hate you."

"Just a little?"

"Just a lot."

Despite his grumblings and misgivings, Corwin drove her the short distance over to Harborview Tower and even endured being frisked and temporarily relieved of his weapon. He mouthed 'you owe me' to Nadine as she flashed him a guilty look and stepped up to knock on the door of Penthouse 4.

Max gave her a look – not a malicious one, just one she had no idea how to interpret – and brushed her gently aside. He knocked once and then stuck his head in. "Boss. Miss Nadine Crowell here to see the family."

"You sound just like Reivers."

He frowned at her. "Who?"

"Never mind," Nadine got out sheepishly. "You wouldn't believe me even I told you."

He held the door open for her and let her pass, and Corwin stayed out in the hall. Nadine cleared her throat delicately and stepped into the living room, her grip on her box of brownies tightening. But her anxiety was ill-founded, and Elizabeth smiled as soon as she looked up and saw her.

"Hey, you!" She was seated on the couch with Cameron half in her lap so she couldn't get up that well, but she wrapped her arms around Nadine when the younger nurse stooped to hug her. She had moved her boys into Harborview Towers with Jason for the time being, according to the gossip around town, and looked settled. "How are you?"

"Good," Nadine shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I should be asking you that. How's…everything?"

"Good," Elizabeth replied honestly. "It's been…a crazy few days."

"I can imagine," she murmured, smiling down at Cameron. "Hey, Cammy, look what I brought for you. Brownies! You like brownies, right?"

He nodded eagerly. "Mommy makes really good brownies, but Jason says he doesn't have the stuff to make them here. He doesn't make brownies or cookies. He says he just eats Mommy's."

Nadine looked over across the room where Jason Morgan was comfortably seated half on top of the pool table with little Jake in his arms. The baby was fussing and Jason was getting him settled.

"Can I have one, Mommy?"

"Just one," she relented, and Nadine opened the box and passed him one on a napkin. "Otherwise you'll spoil your appetite. You wanna go eat that in the kitchen?"

He nodded and scampered off past Jason, and Nadine smiled. Elizabeth cleared her throat and hesitantly reached out, touching her hand and drawing her attention back.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something and I meant to call you, but things have kind of been crazy…"

Nadine nodded as her friend gestured around her. "No, don't worry, I totally get it. I would have stopped by a lot sooner, but I figured I'd give you guys some time, and I…I didn't really know how much you wanted to see me, all things considered."

Elizabeth looked at her warmly. "Look, it's very clear to me that you had some hand in me and Jake getting away from Claudia Zacchara unharmed. She kidnapped him first from the hospital, then me, and obviously she planned to use us to teach Sonny and Jason a lesson. Johnny put a stop to that, and I know that he couldn't have found out on his own."

She cleared her throat, unable to hide a little smirk. "Especially because he was supposed to be dead."

Nadine pressed her lips together but they curved up anyway. "Yeah, funny how that worked out."

Elizabeth laughed. "I know that you were the one that got to him and helped get us out of that situation. I can't thank you enough for what you did."

She shook her head. "You don't have to. I didn't really do anything, I just told him what I knew as soon as I found out – that his sister took you and Jake. Everything else, he did on his own. I didn't even find out about it until after the fact. There's – There's a lot of good in Johnny that few people realize is there. More importantly, I think he's finally starting to realize it."

"Have you talked to him since all this happened?"

"I saw him at the hospital right after you and Jake were brought in," she admitted. "He was trying not to be seen by Sonny or the cops, but he wanted to make sure that you and Jake were okay, that you didn't get hurt."

The corner of Elizabeth's mouth curved up. "Tell him that I think that was very nice of him. His concern means a lot, all things considered. He didn't have to do any of what he did, but that didn't stop him. Please let him know how much Jason and I appreciate it."

Nadine sighed raggedly. "Well, I don't know if I can do that."

Her brows furrowed. "Why not?"

"Because he left town."

Elizabeth blinked. "Johnny?"

"Yeah."

"He left town?"

"Yeah."

"Just recently?"

"Just two or so days ago," Nadine shrugged. "I got a letter from him telling me he had to go, and I haven't heard from him or Claudia since. All he said was that he wanted me to be careful and stay safe, and that his family was around to protect me. That's all."

Elizabeth was starting to smirk. "Okay, just so I have this straight…after a major incident, he got word to you and told you that he was leaving town. All of it was very abrupt."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"And he told you not to worry and that he was sorry."

"Yeah."

"And he worried about your safety but had measures in place to make sure you weren't used as a target or in danger in any way because of what he does for a living."

Nadine was confused as to where this was going, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah."

Elizabeth smiled and eyed Jason, who was now giving Jake his bottle, and batted her lashes at him. "Any words of wisdom?"

He rolled his eyes, looking sheepish, and cleared his throat awkwardly as Elizabeth grinned. "…He'll be back before long."

* * *

"Miss Crowell."

She had just stepped into the lobby at General Hospital, keys, sweater, and purse in hand, more than ready to go home, when Nadine found herself staring up at a tall man dressed in a dark gray suit.

"Santa Claus, I presume."

He offered her what barely passed as a smile and handed her a small box. "For you, Miss. Have a good evening."

Corwin walked with her toward the door after the man moved off, and wisely moved a few paces away once they were outside, giving her a minute to find out what the gift was. Nadine opened up the box and found a clear plastic bag filled with toasted bread, along with the customary note.

She held it in her hands for a few seconds before her curiosity got the absolute best of her and she ripped the envelope open with her nail, pulling out the folded cardstock and seeing his familiar block print.

If Nadine were honest with herself, she'd admit that what she hoped for was a long letter explaining why Johnny left and what this meant and where they stood with each other. Admittedly, that sort of conversation was best had face to face, but he wasn't around so a letter would have been the next best thing to, say, a phone call and one step above an email and several steps above a text message. But she was disappointed when she read through the short note.

_Heard the weather would be nice in Port Charles tonight. Thought you might enjoy spending it in the park with our ducks. _

_JZ._

Nadine snorted, and had half a mind to just dump the whole thing in the garbage can next to her. The nerve of that boy, sending her a note about ducks after everything that had happened. She would have disposed of the whole thing but then, thinking better of it, dropped the bag of toasted bread on the sidewalk. Corwin watched with equal parts curiosity and wariness as she stomped on it, crushing the bread to bits.

Satisfied, Nadine opened the bag and sprinkled the crumbs onto the grass a short distance away from the doors. The birds could have at it. Her work done, she tossed the box and the bag in the trash but for reasons entirely beyond herself, slipped the note into her pocket.


	55. 54

**Note – **I'm almost sad now that this story is wrapping up. I've only got like three pages left to my outline. It used to be eighteen or twenty pages long. Sad. Also, to be clear, Johnny is not in Port Charles, not in Crimson Pointe, and while he's definitely not halfway across the world or anything, he's still not close by. He's just...out and about.

**The Right Girl 54**

Damien Spinelli and Maxie Jones were such lousy, stinking traitors.

That – and the way she'd inevitably pay them back – was what was on Nadine's mind as she stood at the door leading in to Kelly's Diner. Spinelli and Maxie were supposed to have dinner with her tonight but something had come up and neither one could make it, so she was on her own.

Corwin stood at her side, throwing menacing glares all around, but it wasn't helping. Nadine knew she was being watched. Hell, she could _see_ that she was being openly stared at because apparently, the people of Port Charles had a gross deficit of common courtesy.

A week had passed since Johnny left town, and the gossip spread like wildfire. The nurses at the hospital, the same ones she had angered by telling them that she would gladly put her foot in their asses if they spread such slanderous stories about Elizabeth, were speaking up about all the men in handsome black and grey suits that always seemed to be lurking around, carrying little boxes and scented love letters that the heir to the Zacchara family organization and fortune sent to the object of his affection.

Everyone had already decided, apparently, that Johnny and Nadine were madly in love and that she was his little girlfriend, his perfect little mob moll that helped him diffuse the situation with Sonny, Jason, and his sister Claudia and set things right. Of course, this image of a happy couple conflicted with the fact that Johnny left town the week before, but Nadine was certain that the busybodies at the hospital were working on a theory for that as well.

Spinelli and Maxie were supposed to be here to be her buffers and make this whole thing less awkward, but she'd gotten a text from them about ten seconds ago saying they couldn't make it. Of course, she received the text just as she stepped into the diner, and now everyone was staring.

Mike knew her order and was already putting it together, thank goodness, and for that Nadine was grateful. She did her best to ignore the looks and made her way over to the counter with Corwin at her side. She'd just get her food and get the heck out of her – that was the plan.

But per her usual style, Claudia Zacchara walked into the diner just then through the back door and decided to ruin that plan. She was taking a phone call and nodded at Nadine, then flipped her phone shut and slipped it into her purse.

"My order ready? I called it in ten minutes ago."

"Almost, Miss Zacchara," one of the waitresses promised. "We've just been so busy here-"

"Yeah, I didn't ask for your life story," she informed her dryly. "Just get me my food. Man, I'm going to have to wait, aren't I? I hate waiting. It's one of very few things I'm not good at."

Nadine smiled at that. "You? Naw, never would have guessed it."

Claudia smirked and glanced over when the back door to Kelly's opened again and this time, Jason Morgan walked in. One of the waitresses quickly grabbed a brown paper bag and began putting several containers into it.

"Hello, Mister Morgan, here's your order. French fries, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers, applesauce, chocolate milk, and…oh, yeah, brownies. Here you are, I've put it on your tab."

He took the bag from her and handed her a nice tip, and his expression was glacial as he glared at Claudia. Nadine gulped, seeing the hatred in his eyes, and took a step back but Claudia didn't seem at all concerned. She just sent him a sickly smile and batted her lashes.

"Kid-friendly food, I see. I mean, it has to be. I don't see you as the applesauce kind of guy. Unless you're into kinky things that I should know about." Her grin widened when he scowled. "So you moved the little knee-knibblers and their jam hands into your penthouse, huh? Hope you got those socket protectors, otherwise – ZAP! True story."

Nadine groaned aloud and covered her face with her hands, thinking that no one should ever doubt that Claudia was Anthony Zacchara's daughter. Her father had a penchant for sound effects, too.

"Oh, come on," Claudia laughed, while Jason looked close to violence. "You're still mad that I kidnapped the Fruit of your Looms and your Girl Friday, aren't you? Grow up, Morgan. My God, you hold a grudge like a woman."

He growled and stalked past her as Claudia chuckled, and when he was gone she turned around and found the little waitress behind the counter. "You. My food ready or what? If it's not in my hand in about two seconds, I might just unhinge my jaw and eat _you_ instead."

"Charming," Nadine murmured, rolling her eyes. She turned away and realized her mistake when she found herself staring at Lulu Spencer.

The blonde arched a brow at her. "You gonna hide behind your guards this time, or are you gonna talk?"

The corners of Nadine's mouth tightened. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Not surprising," Lulu snorted. "Because nothing can excuse what you did. You had it all planned from the beginning – you wanted Johnny from the start, and now you have him. You make me sick, you two-faced slut-"

"Thanks for _finally_ getting my food," Claudia remarked dryly, taking her bag from the waitress. "Here's a nice tip…that I'm not going to give you."

She turned away from the stunned girl and her expression darkened when she saw Lulu antagonizing Nadine. "Funny, and all this time I thought the Chupacabra was just a legend."

Lulu ignored her. "I was right about you from the start. You never cared about the consequences of your actions, you just wanted Johnny any way you could get him. And he was stupid enough to-"

"Hey!" Claudia slammed her bag down on a nearby table, not particularly caring that a young couple was trying to eat dinner at that particular spot, and cut her off right there. "The only time that John behaved stupidly was when he gave a glue-factory-hopeful skank like you the time of day. Don't be mad because he finally wised up and realized that bestiality was a crime."

Lulu stared at her. "What?"

"She thinks you look like a horse," Nadine explained loudly, unable to help herself. "Hence the bestiality remark. And she's right, our state definitely frowns upon it."

"If you've got a problem with her, that's just tough shit," Claudia continued firmly. "Normally, I'd love to see you two go at it, but my blood sugar's low and I'm way more interested in what comes out of this take out container here than whatever crap comes out of your mouth. So get lost before I beat your oversized potato head in with my shoe."

Lulu scoffed. "That's really sweet, protecting your brother's little skank, and I guess you guys have to travel in flocks, so that makes sense, but you can't do anything to-"

Her eyes widened when Claudia's expression turned grim. Lulu took a step backward when Claudia took a step forward, and then another when she saw her reach for her shoe. She had already turned on her heel and was halfway out the door when Claudia launched the new red stiletto that had just been biting into her toes all day at her head. It bounced off Lulu's back and fell on the floor, and the youngest Spencer was already gone.

Nadine stared at the door, her mouth completely open, and had absolutely no idea what to think, do, or so. So she settled on gaping at Claudia rather stupidly and sputtering, "You – You hit her! With your shoe! It, like, bounced of her head and everything!"

Claudia arched a brow as Nadine stared up at her in awe, continuing to balance elegantly on one foot, and pointed toward the door. "Go get my shoe."

* * *

"Oh, no, we definitely should." Nadine smiled into her phone as she let herself back into her apartment. "I had never been to the Clubhouse before, it was great. We have to get _everyone_ 

together sometime and go there, Elizabeth, too, once things settle down for her. Yeah. Yeah, I know, aren't they cute together? He'd probably shoot you if he heard you say that, though. Yeah, yeah, okay. Talk to you later. Bye."

She tossed her phone on the couch and dumped her purse on the floor, already on her way to the bedroom. A leisurely lunch with girlfriends like the one she just had was best followed by a nice nap with the fan on. She slept very well on her full stomach and got up two hours later to do some chores around her place.

Nadine loaded the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, picked all of her knick-knacks up and restored them to her bedroom despite the fact that they would only end up back in her living room in a few days, then dusted all of her furniture and wiped the windows clean.

Satisfied with her work but lamenting the fact that the sun was setting and it was dinner time, Nadine decided the best way to wind up her relaxing day off was to curl up on the couch with a movie and order some pizza. She placed the order for her jalapeno-pineapple pizza with extra garlic sauce and ranch dressing, was told she would have to wait thirty minutes, and then set about trying to pick out something to watch.

According to (honestly, who subscribed to the actual, physical publication anymore?), there was nothing good on television, so Nadine set about inspecting her vast DVD collection. She had tons of DVDs, mostly DVDs of TV shows, which was amusing, but she couldn't figure things out. _Scrubs, Arrested Development, Black Adder, Jeeves and Wooster, Star Trek, Three's Company, All in the Family, _and even _Wishbone_. So why couldn't she find anything to watch?

The knock on her door alerted her that her pizza had arrived, so Nadine got her purse and paid off the very nice delivery man, then went right back to trying to figure out what to watch. Another knock on her door interrupted her, and she got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

A tall man in a dark suit held a box in his hands. Next to him, Corwin was smirking and had pursed his lips together into what she called a kissie face. "Delivery for you, Miss Crowell."

She looked back and forth between the two men, her eyes narrowed, and took the box from him. "Not a word, Corwin."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Nadine smiled and disappeared behind her door, making her way back to the couch. She took the top off and found a box set of DVDs inside. Pulling it out, she let out a laugh when she saw Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's classic trilogy about an Italian American family business. As always, there was a note enclosed and she pulled it out with a smile.

_One of my favorites…for obvious reasons. Tonight's a good night to say in. There's a storm front moving in according to the news. Looks like you missed your opportunity for a relaxing evening in the park. Sad._

_JZ._

Unable to help it, Nadine looked around the apartment. Was he watching her? It felt like he was watching her. He knew she hadn't gone to the park, and it was obvious that he was monitoring weather conditions in town when he decided on what to send her. The fact that she had been rooting around for something to watch was probably a happy coincidence, especially since Johnny knew that she often watched movies at night.

And Nadine couldn't quite explain what it was that sent a rush of blood to her cheeks and a goofy smile to her lips, but the feeling of being watched…it was exciting and dangerous and flattering all at the same time. No man she was kind-of-sort-of friends with had ever paid this much attention to her before.

And she quite liked it.

* * *

"Miss Zacchara, Miss-"

Nadine blew right past Reivers and stopped in front of Claudia's desk, throwing her hands up in the air. "Okay, seriously? What in the _world_ did you do to Carly to get a lifetime ban from the MetroCourt?"

Claudia grinned and swung her legs off the desk, dismissing Reivers with a flick of her wrist. Her smile was wide and wicked. "Aw, you missed me. You came all the way out here to ask me that because you miss me. That's so pathetic of you."

"I did _not_ miss you," Nadine snorted, flopping down in the chair right across from the desk and tossing her bag to the floor. "I found out in the cafeteria today that you did something to Carly and it got you banned from the MetroCourt for life and no one seems to know what it is. So spill!"

"It was unplanned," Claudia admitted, still grinning. "Very rash of me, actually. Basically I was having a drink at the bar and that banshee walks over to me and starts shooting her mouth off, just saying awful things, so I start to lose my patience. We get into it and then one of her floor managers comes up to her and starts asking her something, so she turned around."

Nadine cringed, enjoying herself thoroughly. She found, strangely enough, that she liked living vicariously through Claudia's wickedness. "Go on."

"The bar tender left a pair of scissors on the counter when he was opening one of those bags of toothpicks, so I grabbed it while Carly had her back turned." She shrugged demurely as Nadine 

choked on air, knowing what came next. "I just kept cutting chunks of her hair off until she noticed, and she freaked. Probably would have taken a swing at me, but I tossed my martini on her shirt and told her that my lighter was in my purse, and that I'd see myself out."

Nadine had her face in her hands. "Oh, you are so awful. You cut off her hair?!"

"The skank was asking for it," Claudia replied breezily, as if it truly didn't matter. And, Nadine supposed, to her it truly didn't. "So guess what I'm going to do now."

"Something involving another martini and another lighter?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I've already set up a meeting with Edward Quartermaine. I'm going to invest in and back the Port Charles Hotel and Grille and steal a huge chunk of Carly's clients. Stick around, it should be fun."

Nadine was laughing when a knock on the door announced Reivers's presence.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if either of you ladies would like some coffee or tea," he smiled, looking back and forth between them.

"I'll take tea, if you have it," Nadine said, drawing a curious look from Claudia. "Ooh, ooh, and did Cook make those little scones?"

"Just yesterday," Reivers affirmed. "I'll bring some out for you, Miss."

"Thanks bunches."

Claudia nodded that she wanted the same, and waited until Reivers left the room before frowning at Nadine. "I thought you were a coffee drinker. That's what John said."

The nurse shrugged. "I've been trying to quit, cut it out of my diet."

"Ah." Claudia turned in her seat slightly, moving back and forth lazily. "So, you, uh, talked to John at all recently?"

Nadine shook her head. "I haven't heard from him, no. Just the odd package here and there. Although, sometimes, you know, it's weird, I kind of feel like I'm being watched. That's kind of what I came here about, to see if you'd know anything about that."

"Nuh-uh." Claudia grinned triumphantly. "You came because you missed me."

* * *

The elevator beeped twice and the doors slowly slid open, allowing Nadine to step out onto the fifth floor. Epiphany Johnson and Amy Vining were already at the hub, going through their 

patient charts, and Nadine barely had time to smile hello before a tall man in a black suit came up alongside her, holding out a sealed white paper cup in a cardboard sleeve. "For you, Miss."

At first, she didn't notice the note tucked into the protective sleeve. "Oh, no, thanks, I don't drink-"

"I insist," he replied before turning and walking away. Next to her, Corwin snorted.

"Must be from Lover Boy."

"Shut up or I'll tell him you call him that. _Care Bare_."

He scowled and mumbled something far from complimentary about her under his breath, but Nadine had just noticed the folded cardstock tucked into the sleeve. She pulled it out, not particularly caring that Amy Vining was watching her like a hawk.

_I heard that you were trying to cut back on coffee, so here's a nice herbal tea blend I thought you'd like. It's got a hint of pomegranate in it. I don't know what the hell that is, but it's a fruit with a fancy name, so I figure girls dig that kind of thing._

_JZ._

Nadine smiled and tentatively inhaled, finding that she liked the warm fruity scent of the tea. Glaring at Corwin to keep his damn mouth shut, she took a sip and headed off toward the locker room, the note tucked away safely in her pocket.


	56. 55

**Note – **The book mentioned in this chapter was not published in whatever year you're reading this story but in 2004. I lied. :-P Also, I have to give credit to my little brother. He's the one that taught me how to play Texas Hold 'Em, and he was much nicer to me than Claudia is to Nadine. Also, about the Liason scene in an earlier chapter – I thought it was sooo funny that Jason did to Elizabeth exactly what Johnny did to Nadine. He left very abruptly after a dangerous, potentially relationship-defining moment, and told her he'd keep her safe. And you just KNOW that Elizabeth would make Jason fess up that the guy always wussed out and came home to his gal. Hee.

**The Right Girl 55**

She was just returning from Leyla's birthday party and a flat white box was waiting outside of her door as she came up the stairs. Nadine took the remaining steps up two at a time and scooped the box up. She jammed her key in the lock, shoved the door open, then slammed it shut and hurried over to the couch. It took her seconds to dump her stuff, set the box on the coffee table, and pull it open.

It was heavier this time and when she pulled it open she saw why. A hard-bound edition of a brand new translation of Alexandre Dumas's _Camille_ sat nestled in white tissue paper. Johnny had gotten her hooked on the old French author and this new translation was supposed to be excellent. Nadine opened the front cover and sure enough, there was her note.

_Ah, Camille. A classic tale of passion versus class. Gosse's translation is a good one, although nothing beats reading it in the original French._

Nadine stopped and rolled her eyes. Show-off.

_Anyway, I knew you'd like this one. As an added kick, put on an off-the-shoulder dress, a black beret, and a pair of Simone-de-Beauvoir-esque flats (I googled "French + Fashion" in preparation for this note) and do your eyes up all black like you sometimes do, and head to the bookstore tomorrow at seven. Also, some French-cut underwear might be appropriate. Just putting that out there. Do with it what you may._

_JZ._

Nadine laughed aloud and tossed the note onto the table, reaching for the book. She flipped through it eagerly, skimming passages here and there, and hugged it to her chest. Then, thinking better of it, she picked up the phone and dialed up the town bookstore after looking the number up.

"_It's a Novel Idea Bookstore. How may I help you?"_

"Hi," she got out breathlessly. "This might sound strange, but is there anything special going on at the bookstore tomorrow around seven? In the evening?"

"_Oh, yes. French translator Edmund Gosse is stopping in Port Charles on his way back from Canada and doing a mini-lecture about the works of Alexandre Dumas. There's also going to be a book signing afterward."_

"Thank you," Nadine chirped. "Have a great night."

She set the phone down and squealed, then kicked off her shoes, flopped back on the couch, and turned to the first page.

* * *

Claudia was seated at a table at Jake's with one of her guards, and the two of them were laughing and talking as she shuffled. The guard checked his watch and got up from his seat a few minutes after Nadine walked in. She watched him leave and then wandered over, figuring she might as well say hi to Johnny's sister.

"Hey."

Claudia blew smoke out of the corner her mouth. "Sit."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Oh, uh, no, that's okay, I didn't want to bother-"

The corners of her mouth tightened. "_Sit_."

Nadine sat.

"So." She took another drag from her cigarette and shuffled the cards one last time. "What are you doing here?"

"Just got off work," the nurse replied, "and I thought I might come by, get a drink and some of Coleman's buffalo wings and see who else was around."

Claudia hissed out a thick stream of smoke and stubbed her cigarette in the ash tray. "Play a hand, we'll see if you're any good."

Nadine wrinkled her nose. "I don't know, I don't really play card games. And I don't really gamble."

The older woman snarled under her breath. "You suck ass at pool, you're afraid of darts, and you don't play poker? What _do_ you do?"

"Take care of sick kids."

Claudia snorted. "Such a fulfilling life you lead. And I was being sarcastic," she added when Nadine was dumb enough to beam proudly. "Oh, dear God, why I don't just step on you is beyond me…"

She dealt the cards quickly, two each, face down. "This is called Texas Hold 'Em. Since you're such a newbie, we'll start off small. Each player gets two cards at first after they toss in their blinds. We'll use…these peanuts. I'll toss in a bigger blind and you'll toss in a smaller one."

She put two peanuts in from her side and added one for Nadine. "See?"

"But that's not fair," Nadine pointed out. "You're in it for more than I am. I should put in another one, just to even things out."

Claudia stared at her for a full ten seconds, so sorely tempted to just smack all the goodness right out of her, and then settled on ignoring her ridiculous Girl Scout comments altogether. "There's no dealer right now, so we won't worry about that. Now, quick run through on what beats what. A Royal Straight Flush is a tenner through ace, all of the same suit. Straight Flush is any five consecutive cards, same suit. Next is Four of a Kind, then three of a kind and a pair, which is called a Full House."

"Like the one with the Olsen twins! And Bob Saget! He's so talented."

Claudia stared at her again, her body tense. All that anger with no place to go… "A Flush is five cards of any suit, a straight is five cards of any suit in order, then comes Three of a Kind, Then Two Pair, then One Pair, then High Card. You got all that?"

"Flush straight house pair…flush."

She pursed her lips together and finally nodded. "Exactly."

"Can I look at my cards?"

"You have to show them to me first." Claudia rolled her eyes when Nadine started to do just that. "You really don't know the first thing about poker, do you? Just look at your damn cards."

Nadine studied them, not entirely sure why she had to study them for so long, but she was willing to do so anyway. "So, uh…can we talk during this game or not?"

"What do you want to talk about? And if you say puppies and rainbows, I will destroy the things you love. Namely, puppies and rainbows. They'll be a thing of the past."

She nibbled her lip and let Claudia rant. "…Did you ever find out who took shots at me and Johnny that first time on the docks? I-I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything, but, like a nod or a shake would be nice. I don't think nods are admissible in courts of law…"

Her dark eyes flicked up. "Yeah. We know everything now, and it's been handled. You don't have to worry."

She cleared her throat and reached for the deck. "So now that we've seen our cards, we bet some more. I'll toss in, say, three peanuts."

"My cards aren't very good," Nadine frowned, putting them down on the table. "I think you win."

Claudia resisted the urge to kick her. "You don't know if your cards are good until the dealer deals," she replied testily. "Toss in three peanuts."

"But-"

"Toss them in!"

Nadine tossed them in.

"Good." Claudia dealt three cards onto the table. "Now look at your cards."

She looked at her cards, trying to look like she was concentrating. "So, uh, about what you said…If I don't have to worry, does that mean I don't need a guard anymore?"

Claudia shook her head, still staring at her cards. "Nope. One threat will be taken care of, but there will still be others out there for the girlfriend of the Zacchara boy."

Nadine squawked indignantly as Claudia tossed in more peanuts for both of them and added two more cards, face up. "I am _not_ his girlfriend!"

"Yeah?" Claudia stuck her tongue out at her cards. "If you weren't, then his name wouldn't make you blush like a…like a…stupid person."

"You must have really bad cards," Nadine grumbled, "if you can't even insult me properly. And I'm not blushing. You just can't see."

Claudia sighed and put down her cards. "Full House. What do you have?"

"I don't know." Nadine set her cards down on the table. "What do I have?"

Claudia inspected them. "…Nothing. I win."

"Oh. Well, I could have told you that much."

She rolled her eyes and then, to Nadine's surprise, reached under her chair and pulled out a white box. "I was going to make you win your prize, but it's totally pointless. You suck ass at this and your face annoys me, and I don't want to spend any more time with you than I have to. So here."

Claudia shook her head again and swept the cards out of the way, pushing the box towards a delighted Nadine. "Teaching you how to play poker is like…teaching a monkey how to have sex with a chicken. Here, it's from your boyfriend."

"I'm telling you," Nadine insisted even as she pulled the lid off the heavy box. "Johnny's not my boyfriend. I didn't even know that he dumped Lulu until she got in my face and I put two and two together. He didn't tell me that he broke up with her and he certainly didn't tell me that he wanted to be more than friends with me. You've been spending too much time with the gossiping nurses at the hospital."

"No, I've just been spending too much time with my brother," Claudia demurred breezily. "And if you can't see where all this is heading, you're dumber than I gave you credit for. So, what's in the box?"

Nadine arched a brow at her. "You mean, you didn't already rip it open and take a peek?"

Her jaw dropped in mock indignation. "I have a sense of decorum."

"No, you don't," Nadine corrected happily. "And you didn't even know that I'm _not_ his girlfriend. Ooh! Look!"

She pulled out the contents of the box, showing them to Claudia. In each hand she held an old-style glass bottle of soda, and the box still contained a sealed bag of popcorn, various movie theatre candy, and a jumbo box of Junior Mints. Claudia assumed the mints were supposed to be something meaningful, but didn't care to think about the symbols of her brother's puppy-love romance for more than a few seconds.

"There a note or something that we can squeal like little girls over?"

Nadine glared at her and set the bottles down, rummaging around in the box for the card until she found it.

_Go to the Black&White theatre on Wednesday night, pick a seat front and center, and enjoy the show. Spoiler alert: It's the best film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo that exists. Watch with a friend or two and see if they think it's a romance. And yes, I am watching you. How does that make you feel?_

_JZ._

She blushed fiercely and Claudia smirked, nodding slowly.

"Yeah," the older woman murmured, her expression perfectly smug. "I knew I was right. I'm always right."

* * *

_In the city a week later…_

She was in New York for the whole week with Nikolas and his son, Spencer. Though she'd had the time of her life the first time Nikolas took her to Manhattan, this trip was bittersweet. She knew that Nikolas was trying to spend some quality time with his son, and hopefully leave the three-year-old with his only memories of his father.

Spencer hopped along happily between them, insisting that they each take his hand and swing him as they walked. Nadine adored the little boy who looked so much like his father, and she tried to keep up the appearance of giddiness for his sake.

They were at the park now and Spencer was climbing around on the jungle gym, periodically yelling at them to watch him. Nikolas and Nadine sat together on a bench, looking to all eyes the perfect young married couple spending a leisurely afternoon in the park with their son. Nadine would have thought the same – minus the young couple and their son part – after a week of fancy dinners, lazy mornings watching cartoons, and sun-filled afternoons in the park, had Nikolas not turned to her just then and said something that filled her with glee and fear at the same time.

"Nadine, I want to talk to you about something."

She looked over at him, her eyes bright, and nodded. "Sure, anything."

God, she hoped he wouldn't ask her to please remain a part of Spencer's life after he was left in Alfred's custody. She really didn't want to burst into tears in the middle of the park, especially when the weather continued quite charming.

Nadine let out a slow, deliberate breath, preparing herself for what she thought to be part of his 'last wishes' speech, but Nikolas surprised her. He leaned in close, so close she could smell his aftershave, and his dark eyes fairly glowed with purpose and excitement.

"Would you be at all averse to participating in an illegal surgery?"

* * *

_Back in Port Charles…_

Patrick Drake was bouncing on the balls of his feet with barely-contained excitement. Next to him, Dr. Ian Devlin was pacing like a caged panther, eager to impart their brilliant scheme to their team. Robin was sitting on his desk with Elizabeth when Nadine walked in, out of breath and panting.

"So sorry," she wheezed, "got cornered by Snickelfritz Sneed. Got here as quick as I could. No one saw."

Ian waved her over next to Elizabeth and rubbed his palms together. "We have a plan that could save Nikolas Cassidine's life. It's dangerous, which is why we've already discussed his chances 

with him and obtained his consent. It's also illegal, which is why we can only ask the three of you to help us. Robin, this is your area of expertise, so we need you on board. Elizabeth, Patrick tells me you have some experience with illegal surgeries. And Nadine…"

His eyes flicked to hers. "You're a good nurse and you're close to the patient. We want you on our team."

"I want everyone to be very clear," Patrick interjected. "This surgery is highly illegal. There's an excellent chance that Nikolas will die on the table. The hospital will not support us and stand behind us when this all hits the fan. This surgery can make or break careers for some of us – you all need to be aware of this before you agree to anything else."

"We need to know what we're looking at," Robin informed him quietly. "We need to know what you plan to do before we can agree or disagree. This isn't the time for ambiguity, Patrick. What do you propose to do – what's left, after all our treatments failed to get rid of the tumor?"

"We induce a coma," the neurosurgeon stated flatly. "We put Nikolas into a coma and insert a shunt in his brain. We pump him full of penicillin and-"

"Penicillin?" Nadine's brows furrowed. "But that's a high-pressure drug and…"

Realization dawned on her at the same moment that it did on Elizabeth, who snapped her fingers. "Which doesn't matter because of the shunt! We can put him on whatever we want."

"Exactly," Patrick nodded. "We pump him full of penicillin and other high-pressure drugs. Robin, we're counting on you for the correct mix. We'll keep him in a clean room and inject him with multiple rounds of cortisol – it'll suppress his immune system-"

"And act as an anti-inflammatory," Nadine filled in, the corner of her mouth curving upward.

Ian's eyes glittered. "Exactly. If needed, we'll insert an ethanol compound that will temporarily shrink the tumor. We get him into surgery _immediately _and cut it right out. There's an incredible risk of hemorrhage, infection, even though the penicillin will aid us in that respect, brain damage, and even death. But Nikolas has agreed to it all, and if anyone has any doubts about this, then they need to leave this room right now before we discuss anything else."

Nadine started to slowly nod as Robin and Elizabeth did the same. "I'm in."


	57. 56

**Note – **I'm going to be trying like hell to finish up my stories before law school. I doubt it'll happen. But that's what half hour train rides are for – we'll get one update of any fic per week that way, if we're lucky.

**The Right Girl 56**

_At the PCPD…_

Nadine crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at the point where the ceiling met the wall. Elizabeth and Robin sat on either side of her, and Patrick and Ian were both handcuffed to the desk and sitting across from them.

They had all been arrested for taking part in the illegal surgery that was Nikolas Cassidine's only shot at staying alive. Their patient was still unconscious and wouldn't likely wake up for a few hours, if he woke at all, so they didn't even have his health and stable condition to back up their actions.

Scott was furious. He ranted and raved for the past half hour as if the five of them were school children, then scared Nadine further by promising them all that their careers were over. Patrick, Ian, Robin, and Elizabeth remained stone-faced, but Nadine was genuinely scared. Patrick and Ian were single men who saved most of their income anyway; they wouldn't have any trouble staying on their feet for quite a while. Robin was the same way, plus she had family in this town that would always support her if she needed it. Elizabeth was, for all intents and purposes, Mrs. Jason Morgan. She would never have to work another day in her life if she didn't feel like it, and no one would be able to say 'boo' to her.

Nadine's future, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as secure. She was young and single, true, but she only barely managed to make ends meet. She counted on the hospital for offering her excellent health benefits, and she kept a careful budget to monitor her spending and encourage her to save. Besides, she had no family in town. She had no family anywhere.

But she wouldn't encourage the DA by freaking out in front of him. She would try to stay as stoic as the rest of her colleagues, and would just freak out on the inside.

Robin looked over at Elizabeth. "She on her way?"

Elizabeth nodded, and Nadine had no idea what they were talking about. "Oh, yeah. She's always the first to hear when stuff like this happens. Uh, men on the inside, you know."

Robin smirked and settled back in her chair. "Oh, I know."

Scott was still pacing in front of his office and looked up in disdain when Alexis breezed in. She threw him a glare and nodded at Patrick and Robin.

"You two hang tight," she said, hanging up her coat and flipping her attaché case open. "I'll make this all go away. The first thing you can do for me, DA Baldwin, is uncuff my client. He's 

not a flight risk, nor is he a danger to anyone in this room. If you resist, I'll slam you with additional charges. Consider your options carefully."

"I advise you to pay attention to her," came a voice from the lobby, and Nadine looked over to see a tall man with silver hair walk into the main offices. He gestured toward Ian and arched a brow. "I insist that you uncuff Doctor Devlin immediately as well."

Ian's private attorney was followed almost immediately by Diane Miller, who waltzed into the PCPD as if she owned the joint. Elizabeth smirked at her and she winked right back.

"Arresting Nurse Webber, Scott?" She shook her head and tsked. "I don't know how you thought that would go over well. And imagine how foolish you'll look when I have her out of here so fast that we make the Guinness World Book."

Nadine bit her lip and looked around her. Patrick and Robin were exchanging smug looks, knowing that Alexis would harass Scott soon enough into letting them go, Elizabeth was happily watching Diane strut her stuff, and now that his high-priced attorney was having one of the rookie cops remove his cuffs, Ian was actually yawning in the DA's face.

Meanwhile, Nadine had no one. Oh, God, would she be the only one left facing charges? Would she have to stand trial? Would she have to have a public defender? Would she go to jail? Why didn't she watch more episodes of Law & Order with that hunky Benjamin Bratt who, the more she thought about it, bore a striking resemblance to Johnny from the right angle?

Shit.

She was going to jail, and all because she had watched an insufficient amount of Benjamin Bratt on television.

Oh, shit.

Elizabeth eyed Nadine, who was starting to go glassy-eyed. "Nadine?"

Nothing.

She poked her. "Nadine?"

"I'm going to jail because I didn't watch enough Benjamin Bratt!"

They all stopped and stared at her, and Elizabeth delicately cleared her throat and looked up at her lawyer. "Diane, would you mind representing-"

"Not at all," she replied breezily. "Miss Crowell-"

Relief surged through Nadine at that, but it was nothing compared to the relief she felt when a tall, dark-haired man in an expensive suit walked into the Port Charles Police Department like he owned the joint – and at one point, he had – and sent a charming smile her way.

"Miss Crowell," Ric Lansing interrupted, setting his case down on the desk. "I hope you haven't gotten this party started by saying something to these fine officers without my being present. You just sit tight and I'll have you out of here as soon as I can."

Elizabeth and Robin stared at Nadine, their wide eyes inquiring how she could possibly have acquired former DA Ric Lansing as her attorney, but those and similar questions were answered by the woman who walked in after Ric.

Claudia came to a stop in front of Nadine as Ric prepared to get to work and planted her hands on her hips, glaring down at the nurse though her amusement was evident. "I can't leave you alone for two minutes without you running off and getting into trouble, can I?"

And Nadine could only smile.

* * *

"Thank God." Nadine jammed her key into the lock and shook her head at one of her super's cats who was sitting just a few feet away. "Don't you even think about it. You go on home, Mister. I'm not putting up with you tonight. You can't just crash at my place all the time because you don't want to stay at yours. Get."

It was a Friday night and she was absolutely _exhausted_. The work week had dragged on and on and she thought it would never be over. She was _this_ close to asking Corwin to just carry her to the car and up the stairs, but forced herself to maintain some dignity. Besides, instead of carrying her nicely, that ape would probably sling her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and then where would she be?

She kicked off her sneakers and dumped her stuff by the door, too tired to put it away. She didn't even want to look at it – she just wanted to go to her bedroom and go to sleep. And she would have done just that, had a knock on the door not interrupted her.

"Are you kidding me?" she growled, reluctantly turning around. "You wait until now to come a-calling? Bah."

She heard footsteps retreating but pulled the door open anyway in time to see a man descending onto the lower floor. Nadine frowned and looked down at her feet, finding a large white box. This one was wrapped with a pretty white bow.

She stared at it and finally picked it up, realizing it was surprisingly light. Nadine kicked the door shut with her foot and headed over to the couch to inspect the gift. It was a little frustrating, receiving all of these gifts from Johnny over the past few weeks without being able to have any contact with him or send him anything, but she would have been lying if she said her heart didn't leap when she saw a new gift.

Nadine tugged on the bow, pulling it loose, and let the sparkly ribbon fall to the table. She gingerly lifted the lid, set it down, parted the tissue paper, and gasped. Reaching into the box, she pulled out a pair of the prettiest black stilettos she'd ever seen and let them dangle from her fingertips in the dim light. They boasted four and a half-inch heels with delicate straps and pretty little crystal embellishments on the toe of each shoe. They were absolutely lovely.

And accompanied by a note.

_Meet me at my place on the docks tomorrow night at seven. Wear that green dress you wore to the Nurse's Ball when I couldn't keep my eyes or hands off you. Claudia picked out the shoes herself without knowing it – she thinks I was trying to pick out a gift for her, only the ones she selected were red, of course – and I believed she referred to them, when pressed, as Fuck Me Shoes. Her words, not mine, although I certainly don't find the concept at all appalling._

_JZ._

Nadine sat back on the couch and stared at the note, stunned. She read it over a couple times just to make sure that she wasn't making things up in her head, but it was very real. And surprisingly enough, she wasn't embarrassed or flustered by what he wrote or what the gift meant. Instead, she was excited. And very much looking forward to the following night.

A wicked smile kicked up the corner of her mouth and she reached for her phone, her weariness temporarily forgotten.

"Leyla?" Nadine was grinning now and unable to help it. "Hey, it's me. Listen, are you free? Yes, right now. Good. I have a big idea and I need some help. Okay. In a little bit. Okay, great, let's do that. Is Elizabeth with you? Put her on speaker. Hey! Did you hear? Really? Yeah, great! No, it shouldn't take too long. Okay, sweet. See you then."

* * *

"So exciting," Elizabeth grinned, bringing in the last of the empty boxes from her car. "I haven't done anything like this since I was in college. You think these boxes will be enough? Max helped me raid the mail room at Harborview Towers, and I tried to pick out a bunch of different sizes."

"They're perfect," Nadine assured her as she and Leyla brought out a bunch of shopping bags from her bedroom. As soon as she had gotten off the phone with her friends, Nadine had showered and changed and met Leyla in downtown Port Charles. They made quick work of their little shopping expedition and Leyla thankfully kept her questions to herself as Nadine picked out the items she needed. By the time Elizabeth had fed the boys and left Jason to put them to bed before coming over to her apartment with a bunch of empty boxes nested together, they were ready.

"Thank you so much," she continued, dumping the bags on the floor as Leyla began to take her items out and neatly line them up on the floor. "I feel horrible asking you guys for help on such short notice, but-"

Leyla dismissed her with a wave and tossed the empty bags away. "Please. I didn't have any plans tonight, anyway. And I was feeling right sorry for myself that a Friday night found me alone."

"And I haven't gotten out of the house in quite a while," Elizabeth agreed, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. "Besides, it'll do Jason some good to handle the boys on his own. He told me that as long as they're both breathing by the time I get back, I can't be mad at him."

Nadine laughed at that and joined her friends with a roll of scotch tape and some red yarn. "He's really settling into this fatherhood business, huh?"

Elizabeth smirked, but her eyes glowed with pride. "Yeah, he'll be fine. Cam's excitable but easy to tire out, and Jake's pretty low-maintenance as long as he has something to chew on. Okay, so, how do you want us to do this?"

"One item per box, and I've got the notes." She straightened a small stack of folded up squares of cardstock. "And then we just add a piece of tape and some string and load it all up in the car."

"That'll be a lot," Leyla whistled, looking around the room at all the boxes and trinkets. "Well, at least there's nothing particularly heavy or fragile."

Elizabeth shrugged and smirked at Nadine. "Sure, there are a lot, but think of it this way: she has a couple weeks' worth of Johnny's gifts to make up for." She held up a pair of fuzzy slippers. "So, tell me, what's the deal with these?"

Nadine threw a balled up piece of tissue paper at her. "Just sort and wrap."

* * *

Johnny adjusted the items in his arms and hurried up the steps, taking them two at a time. He was finally back in Port Charles and after calling his sister to check in with her and let her know he was back safe and sound, he booked it over to his apartment. He had some time left before Nadine was expected to arrive, and all he needed to do was shower and change into the suit that he had in the garment bag slung over his shoulder.

It was really good to be home.

He never really liked to think of Crimson Manor, much less Port Charles, as home for obvious reasons, especially after his mother died. His father was here, sure, but he wasn't home for Johnny. Claudia had been overseas and even now that she was back, he knew they still had some work to do before they were 'whole again,' as she put it. But when he saw the big The State Of 

New York Welcomes You sign along the country highway he was zooming down, he felt this incredible surge of relief and excitement all at the same time.

Crimson Manor was where Claudia was, where his family estate was, where the seat of his business and power was. Port Charles was where Nadine was, and he couldn't wait to see her. He knew she would be mad or disappointed – probably a combination of the two – when she found out that he had gone without a word, and had hoped his little gifts went a long way in soothing that anger over and letting her know that she was never far from his thoughts. He managed not to drop his things as he wrangled his key into the lock and entered, and Johnny stopped before he even set foot inside.

His penthouse was full of boxes.

Some were big, some were little, some were square, some were flat. All were white and were tied up with red yarn, and he was sure that when he opened them, they'd have little notes tucked safely away inside.

Johnny dropped his stuff to the floor and leaned back against the door, just looking around in amazement. Nadine had outdone herself. There was no need for it; he didn't need her to get him anything. But it was the thought that counted, and she appeared to be telling him the same thing he'd attempted to tell her through his long-distance gifts.

Somehow, Johnny managed to exercise patience and restraint. Though he wanted nothing more than to move around the room and open up all the boxes and find out what her little notes said, he forced himself to just pick up his things instead and retire to the bedroom. He put his dirty clothes in the hamper, pulled out a pair of clean boxers and socks from his dresser, and headed to the bathroom. Once showered, he shaved and dried his hair and then dressed in the black suit he'd picked up on the way to his place.

Only when he was done getting ready did Johnny allow himself to go back into the main room and have a look around. He didn't open them yet, instead waiting on a special delivery he knew would arrive any minute now. When he heard the knock on the door, Johnny let a few of his men in and waited impatiently as they set up a table, added silverware and fine china, brought in the wine and the ice bucket, and set two warm, covered dishes atop the fancy plates. Then he hurried them out and shut the door behind them.

Dinner was ready – he had wanted to cook it for her himself since he enjoyed that sort of thing but found that he wouldn't have the time nor the necessary ingredients and utensils at his place – and he was all dressed and ready to go. He still had a little time before Nadine was expected to arrive, so the time had finally come to open the boxes that littered the apartment.

He knew there was always a method to Nadine's madness and so moved toward the piano first. Sure enough, he found a letter sitting atop the cover with his name written on it in her feminine scrawl. He flicked the end up with his nail and opened it easily, pulling out the long note inside.

_I loved all your surprises these past few weeks, and now it's time for me to treat you to a few of my own. I figure, it's like my Aunt Rayleen used to say: the one being carried doesn't know how far it is to town. Why shouldn't you get to feel special, too?_

Johnny laughed that and turned slowly as he read on.

_So here we go. The boxes all have little numbers on them. Go to the first one._

He did as he was told and found himself standing at the far corner of his black marble bar counter. It was a flat white box tied with the same yarn, and he put the letter down and picked it up, tugging at the yarn. He pulled out the gift and found a mixed CD with the words _Lennon _and _McCartney _scrawled on it. To his surprise, there was no note in the box so he returned to the letter and found the appropriate lines.

_Music puts me in the mood…for everything. It's a silly trick, but the people in my life have always been able to manipulate my moods by picking a song from my favorite selection, burned for your convenience onto this CD. Trust me, this will be invaluable to you in the future._

Johnny laughed again and set the CD down next to the box, moving on to the next gift. This box was about the same size but taller and heavier, and when he opened it he found a collection of suspiciously girly DVDs. He checked the covers and grimaced when he saw delicate little starlets in eighteen century garb superimposed next to shots of Regency eye candy. But the DVDs were adaptations of the work of one of his most often-quoted authors, so he couldn't be too upset.

_Laurence Olivier, Colin Firth, Matthew MacFadyen…it doesn't matter who plays him, but Fitzwilliam Darcy is a literary dreamboat. I go through moods sometimes where all I want to do is pull out the book or the movies and escape into historical England and pretend there really is a Fitzwilliam Darcy out there somewhere. It borders on the pathological, no joke. Just thought I'd let you know that you have some competition; best stay on your toes, Zacchara. Also, did you know that in the Olivier version, Lady Catherine D'Bourg has been helping Darcy try to snag Lizzie the whole time? We must discuss the political-historical significance of this._

He smiled and moved on to the next one, the note never leaving his hands. This box rattled when he picked it up and once it was open, he saw why: it was filled with an assortment of mini-cereal boxes, all of them sugary or chocolaty or containing multi-colored marshmallows.

_Good for breakfast AND dinner! Get used to these, rich boy. Some of us live on them. Also? The ones with the marshmallows are MINE. And I will fight you for them. It could be kind of fun._

Johnny was absolutely sure it would be. Still grinning, he opened up the next present that sat on his windowsill, drawing out a pair of fuzzy, fluffy slippers modeled after a lion.

_Because when I relax, I have to be totally relaxed. That means no makeup, hair in a ponytail, a t-shirt, and pants with homicidal, knife-wielding bunnies on them. And laziness loves company, or so I hear, so these are yours. _

The fifth gift was something that Johnny had never tried before: a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans.

_Ever wonder where I get my child-like, pseudo-psychotic energy from? Now you know! A few of these will keep you up all hours of the day and night._

Another box sat on one of his black armchairs, and Johnny knelt on the floor and opened it only to find a pair of dark blue scrubs with the General Hospital logo on them.

The letter read,

_Ah, GH's most well-kept secret: our super duper comfortable scrubs! I snagged you a pair from our scrubs vending machine, one of the hospital's worst money-saving ideas. I had to sacrifice a pair of my hemp pants and an old band t-shirt to get you these, plus I got yelled at by Doctor Ford, but that's nothing new. Elizabeth said that these were good in case a mob boy needed to infiltrate the hospital for some reason with his trusty nurse side kick, but I imagine they're pretty useful for playing 'Doctor' as well. _

He smirked wickedly and rubbed the fabric between his fingers, finding it remarkably soft. He didn't mind her last idea at all.

Another box was waiting for him by the other window, and this one was rather large. Johnny hefted it cautiously and was surprised to find that it was very light. Wasting no time, he plucked at the yarn and the knot gave way, allowing him to open it quickly. Inside was a large wicker picnic basket lined with red cloth. It reminded him of the time he brought her cocoa and cookies on the hospital roof. He'd considered loading them up that night in a picnic basket much like this one, but had been too lazy to stop and get one. Besides, he just wanted to be able to catch her at work and didn't want any delays.

_I've discovered, thanks to you, that a day of just getting away from it all really does wonders for the mind and body. But just because we might need to get away for a bit doesn't mean we have to leave empty-handed._

The eighth box contained two pairs of shades, one slightly squared model in black and one slightly smaller, rounded model in white.

_These go along with the picnic basket. We'd look so cute, running off with these on. _

Johnny let out a bark of laughter at that and then, just for fun, tried on the shades. He had a mirror on the wall across from the piano and stood, staring at himself from different angles. He was very particular about the shades he wore, and though these ones were slightly larger than the ones he usually selected, he kind of liked them.

There were only two boxes left, and one sat on the other armchair by the other window. Nadine had made a neat circle of gifts around the room, and he was almost at the end. He pulled the yarn off and reached inside the box to find two photos put together in the same double-frame. One was of Nadine as a young girl, sitting across from a little group of her stuffed animals, one of which looked a lot like the Hello Stinky band she wore, and talking and gesturing animatedly, not even paying attention to the camera. The other was a picture of him bent over his old wooden toy piano with one hand on the keys, one propping his chin, and a look of grave concentration on his face.

_Claudia gave me the picture of you, but only after I showed her the picture of me. Then she laughed and almost choked and Reivers got scared and tried to smack her back and it was comical. And gosh, we were such weird kids. Me more so than you, according to your sister._

Johnny smiled down at the photos and turned slowly, heading over to the mantel that separated the two large windows. He set the frame down carefully, steadying it next to a large black hand-blown glass vase he'd selected just for the apartment. He moved back, studying it, and found the placement and effect satisfying.

_The last gift you'll find in the drawer in your nightstand._

Confused, he looked around the room and then headed for the bedroom. When he pulled open his drawer, sure enough, there was a small, slim white box tied with yarn just waiting for him. All of Johnny's questions about why she'd elected to place the last gift there were answered when he opened it, and a wide grin spread across his face.

A pair of glittering silver padded handcuffs.

_Just because I saw them and thought of you. Now put them down, push away the dirty fantasies, and finish reading my letter._

He ignored her written command for a moment, enjoying his 'dirty fantasies' far too much to push them away, and finally reluctantly set the cuffs down – for later use, to be sure – and returned to the letter.

_The gifts you've given me over the course of our friendship have meant more to me than you could know, from the very first basket of muffins and coffee to the picture of you, Claudia, and your mothers. Each gift was meant to surprise me and make me happy, I know, but each one also gave me clues about the kind of person you really were inside, past the kind of person you pretended to be because of what other people expected. So each of the things I left at your place are for you, naturally, but they're also a little about me, too. I thought you needed to know all these things about me, what I like, what I don't, what I do, all of that, but then I realized that you already know more about me than I've let anyone else discover in a very, very long time. So I'll probably be pretty boring to you from now on!_

_Nadine Crowell_

It was the first time she'd signed her full name, and he traced the curves with his eyes, snapped out of his trance only when he heard a knock on the door. He panicked for a second and shot up 

from the bed, trying to put the letter down and smooth his hair at the same time and ended up with the piece of paper sitting on his head.

Johnny rolled his eyes, set the folded up letter on his nightstand, and smoothly exited the room to answer the door. He cleared his throat, checked to make sure his breath didn't stink, smoothed his lapels out of habit, and pulled the door open.

And promptly had his breath stolen away from him.

Nadine stood just a foot away, casually leaning against the doorjamb. She was wearing that wicked emerald gown that showed off tons of skin in all the right places, had her black clutch under her arm, a shawl in her hands, and had on those absolutely sinful black stilettos that sent thoughts of wild, crazy, uninhibited sex racing through his brain.

The corner of her mouth curved up as she tilted her head just so. "Hey."

A slow, wide grin spread across his face as Johnny gazed down at her. "Hey."

"Welcome back."


	58. 57

**Note – **Porn. So much bantering porn. Go away if you are the prude. :-P

**The Right Girl 57**

**NC-17**

"Welcome back."

He grinned widely and took a step back, and Nadine pushed herself away from the doorjamb and sauntered forward. She looked incredible in that wicked, wicked dress, and he loved it when she got dressed up. Nadine was the sort of girl to look lovely in a pair of scrubs with only lip balm slicked on, but he appreciated her dressier look simply because it was a rarity.

"I got your-"

He didn't get a chance to finish the thought because that was when Nadine grabbed his lapels, yanked him forward with more force than he thought she was capable of, and crushed her lips to his. He sputtered something against his mouth in his surprise, then gladly let her take control.

Nadine kissed him deeply, her hands fisted in his lapels as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up flush against him. She tickled the seam of his lips with her tongue, and Johnny kicked the door closed without even opening his eyes and backed her up until she was pressed against the wall. He rocked his hips into hers, pinning her there. Framing her face with his hands, he kissed her deeply, soundly, thoroughly, not leaving a single inch of her mouth unexplored.

They were both breathing hard when he pulled away and Johnny lowered his head, his forehead lightly resting against hers, his eyes closed. Nadine watched him and smiled, dragging a finger down his chest and grinning when he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"…You've been gone for a _really_ long time."

Johnny chuckled and hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to tilt her head back. Her lips were just an inch from his, hovering there like a blatant offering, and he leaned down and kissed her again. Her hand smoothed down his arm, down the ridges in the fabric of his suit, until it was on his side and skimming lower and lower and…

…Had she just pinched his ass?

He cracked one eye open and looked down at her, saw her smirk just a little against his mouth, and knew she had.

"Molester."

"Bite me."

"I might."

Nadine grinned and lazily skimmed her hands up to his back, feeling the strong muscles there rippling under her touch. "So you got my stuff, huh?"

"Yup." He let his lips brush across her cheek and over to her ear, nibbling now on the delicate shell and delighting in her sharp intake of breath. It felt so good to be free to do this, to touch her, to kiss her, to drive her as wild as she unknowingly drove him. He never let himself take that luxury before. Well, except for the two times he'd kissed her (and even tried to slip her tongue before she got wise) while he was still technically with Lulu.

Heh.

That was nice.

"And you're not boring." Johnny's hot breath tickled her neck and he could feel her tremble just a little. It was endearing, because Nadine Crowell never struck him as the sort of girl that would do that. And it was exciting, too, because he was the one to provoke such a reaction from her.

"Oh?"

He shook his head and looked down at her. "You're beautiful."

Nadine blushed a pretty shade of pink, but he wasn't done.

"I learn something new from you every time I see you."

"Yeah?" She flashed him an excited grin. "What did you learn this time?"

"A couple of things," Johnny answered with feigned seriousness. "First, that you should _never_ take those shoes off. Second," he added, leaning in when she laughed, "you should always be kissed…here."

She gasped when his lips found a certain spot on her neck that he had just discovered and gripped his shoulder. "Well…aren't you ahead of the curve?"

He laughed at that, the sound low and husky, and lightly nipped at her. "Oh, I make it a point to be."

Johnny teased her some more and finally pulled back, flashing her a small smile. If he kept on like this, he'd never want to stop, and this night was supposed to be about so much more than sex. He'd planned everything, and he really wanted to spend time with Nadine and do everything night and show her-

"Whoa!"

He wasn't expecting her to once again fist his lapels and yank him to her, much less for her to turn and slam him against the wall on top of that. Johnny gaped at Nadine as she swooped in again and claimed his mouth. She nipped at his lower lip as he tried to stand up straight, then kissed his chin and his jaw and lower, nipping at his neck like he had done to her.

"Hey-" His words were muffled between them when Nadine pressed her lips to his again. Johnny knew she was teasing him, but, damn, she had no idea what she was starting. "Oh, man."

Nadine flashed him a flirty grin and slipped her hands under his suit jacket, skimming them up and down his sides until his blood hummed hot. She was close enough to brush her lips over his but teased him further by staying just out of reach, even when he tried to kiss her. Her nails scraped lightly against his flanks, a little gentler on the side where he had been shot several weeks before, and Johnny stifled a groan.

He was no stranger to a good lay; there had been a time when there was very little else he did besides initiate one. He slept with actresses, lingerie models, basically any exquisitely pretty girl that was foolish enough to cross his path. And he absolutely loved that Nadine wasn't the least bit intimidated by him. She was direct and clear; she wanted him and didn't care for cute games or coy flirtations.

Besides, he didn't want to waste any time on that garbage. They'd waited long enough to give in to this.

He opened his eyes when she nuzzled his neck and bit down on his lip, squirming a little when his pants felt a size too small. He caught sight of the food sitting on the table a few paces away and frowned. "You know-mph."

Nadine was kissing him again, and his hands slid over the smooth green silk she wore as if of their own volition, stopping only when they found the lush curve of her derriere.

Johnny nipped at her lip and glanced worriedly at the table. "Our dinner's getting cold-"

He stopped himself and shook his head briskly. "The hell am I saying?"

Nadine laughed when he pushed himself away from the wall, wrapping his arms around her waist, and nudged her in the general direction of the bedroom. "Not hungry, huh?"

"Plenty hungry," he growled, of half a mind now to just pick her up and carry her the rest of the way. She walked too damn slow. "Or couldn't you tell?"

She blushed fiercely, not as used to those sorts of innuendos being directed at her as he was, and looped her arms around his neck. This brought her right up against him, and she blushed again when she felt the raw heat of him seep through the silk.

Somehow, they managed to stumble into his bedroom, a richly appointed masculine bed chamber done in soft shades of cream and white with dark, dark wood. She had been here before when he was shot but at the time hadn't stopped to realize how pretty it was…or how big the bed was.

"Oof!"

Nadine was altogether unprepared – hence, the unladylike noise she made – when Johnny didn't even bother with pretenses and scooped her up into his arms, depositing her in the middle of the bed. He shrugged off his suit jacket and kicked off his shoes before joining her, crawling over to her on his hands and knees like a feral cat.

Aunt Rayleen never let her and Jolene get on the bed with shoes on – a standard when living on a farm and doing chores outside all day – and so Nadine automatically reached for the clasp of her pretty new sandals. Johnny's hand closed over hers and when she looked up at him, his eyes were smoldering.

"Leave them on."

She would have said something funny – really, a remark like that could only be answered with a witty retort and a cunning smile – but he crushed his lips to hers and pinned her down onto the bed. He stretched out along the length of her, half on his side and half on top of her, and Nadine mewed at the delicious pressure.

He kissed her languidly, enjoying himself thoroughly, and used the hand on her ankle to smooth up the edge of her skirts. His rough hand skimmed all the way up her bent knee, past the little nick she'd given herself that afternoon in the shower as she got ready for their date (Nadine was so glad she opted not to slap a Keroppi Day Frog band-aid on it), and he teased the sensitive skin behind her knee with his thumb. His insistent caress made her shift and squirm, and her hips rose up to press shamelessly against his.

Nadine groaned when she felt him grind against her, and Johnny used the opportunity to trail hot kisses down the column of her throat. His hand moved higher, pushing the silk up her leg as he rubbed her thigh. His thumb skirted an erratic line up the inside of her thigh, leaving a trail of fire in its wake that sizzled on to her very center.

Not to be outdone, she ran a hand through his dark hair, forcing him to look at her. "Am I gonna get to return the favor anytime soon, or are you good here?"

Johnny laughed and ignored her question, leaning down to kiss the hollow of her throat. He dipped his tongue into it just to make her shiver, then traced a crazy path along her collar bone. Keeping her pinned to the mattress with just his hips, he used his free hand to cup the swell of her breast, molding it to her palm.

And Nadine couldn't help it – she giggled and swatted his hand away. "Stop that."

He blinked and lifted his head up, stunned. It was the first time, amazingly enough, that a woman told him to stop anything once he was in her bed. "…What?"

"Tickles." She shrugged her shoulders. "Because of the silk."

Relief flooded through him – really, it was enough to make a man doubt his own prowess – and he shot her an exasperated look. "You're – never mind."

Nadine pouted as he lowered his lips to her neck and nipped at her skin. "What were you going to say?"

He let his hot breath fan out over her breasts, then dipped his tongue into the valley between them. "Nothing."

She arched her back, her nails scraping against his scalp. "…No, seriously, what were you going to say?"

Johnny ignored her again and turned his attention to her left breast. The nipple had hardened and was visible through the exquisite green silk, so he reached his tongue out and flicked it, then did it again when he heard her hiss. His lips closed over it and he raked his teeth gently, making her whimper and attempt to twist away.

He held her firm with his hips, knowing in no uncertain terms that she could feel his erection low against her belly. This was lazy and slow and irreverent, and he wanted to be sure she enjoyed it all in every way a woman should. There was a wet spot on the silk now and he pulled back and blew over it gently, knowing the alternation of hot and cold would drive her wild.

Sure enough, Nadine's hips pressed even more firmly against his as she tried to twist away, but he wasn't done with her. He repeated the same procedure on the other side until she mewed his name, the breathy whimper sending his blood sizzling southward immediately. In retaliation, he lifted himself up a little to further tease her by smoothing his hand high up the inside of her thigh, but the move backfired when Nadine was able to squeeze her legs around his trim waist, and Johnny found himself settled comfortably in the cradle of his thighs.

Well, he would have been comfortable if the only thought on his mind was how to get out of his damn pants with as little fuss and delay as possible.

He growled and pushed his hand up even higher, the silk now pooling at her waist, and was mildly surprised at what he found underneath.

"No underwear?"

She rolled her eyes, looking charmingly at home in his bed, underneath him. "Oh, please. We both knew _exactly_ where tonight was heading, anyway."

Johnny laughed aloud at her bluntness and kissed her sweetly on the mouth before his lips took a different path down to her shoulder.

"Not that I'm some kind of slut," Nadine continued, even waving her hand in the air to punctuate the statement. "I always wear underwear. But – Oh! What are you doing?"

She heard his teeth click and squirmed, trying to get a better look. There was no telling with that boy – he had a way of being wicked without even trying. "Johnny?"

"I'm taking the advice of someone who clearly knew what she was talking about," he murmured, undoing the tie-back straps of her dress with his teeth and then slowly, tantalizingly peeling the silk down until one breast was bared before moving on to the other, "and peeling this thing off you with my teeth."

Nadine threw her head back when he nuzzled her breasts, his hands greedily pushing the silk down toward her middle, eager to see more skin. "Oh, God. You're the worst."

"The best," he corrected, "as you will soon discover."

"I liked you better when you weren't so cocky." She crinkled her nose. "Weird choice of words."

Johnny smirked and propped himself up on his elbow, taking time to sweep a gaze of pure masculine appreciation over her half-naked form, sprawled out underneath him. His hand on her hip prodded her to lift up a little, just so he could sweep the dress off her entirely. She did as she was silently asked and Johnny whisked the silk down her long legs and away before leaning down to kiss her.

He kissed her thoroughly, deeply, distracting her as he ran his hand boldly over her body, smoothing it up her leg, rubbing large circles over her thigh, tickling a line up her stomach and then gently palming her breast. With the silk now in a puddle on the floor, she couldn't complain about being tickled anymore, and Nadine could have sworn that fire was licking at her insides as he molded her to the inside of his hand.

The sight of his dark hand on her soft skin was captivating, and she watched him fondle her, rasp the pad of his thumb over her nipple until she couldn't stand it anymore. Unfortunately for her inhibitions and control, that was the exact moment he chose to replace his hands with his mouth, and everything exploded in a burst of white warmth as he worked her, excited her, unleashed a part of her that had gone ignored for so very long.

"This is so unfair."

Johnny's chest rumbled with laughter at her grumbling. "What is?"

"That I'm totally naked and you're still fully clothed."

He reluctantly pulled away long enough to drop a kiss on her nose. "That's because you're prettier naked than I am."

"Nice try," Nadine grinned, her smile widening at his pout when she half-pushed him off of her. "Strip, Zacchara."

Johnny rolled his eyes and pushed himself up to his knees, popping the first two buttons of his shirt. "_Fine_."

Her eyes narrowed playfully and Nadine crawled forward and got up on her knees, unmindful of her nakedness. "On second thought…"

He gave her a look that was a perfect mix of surprise and amusement as she brushed his hands away and undid the third button herself. And then, before he could issue forth some smart-ass comment, she leaned forward and attacked the spot on his neck just under his ear. Johnny growled, his hands coming to rest on her narrow waist so he could hold her close, and threw his head back enough to grant her better access.

Nadine moved lower and lower, trailing hot, wet kisses down the column of his throat and over the skin she exposed as she practically tore the little buttons from their holes. His shirt was parted and she tugged it out his pants before shoving it down his arms and tossing it onto the floor.

Johnny snarled and framed her face with his large hands, distracting her, and covered her lips with his own. Nadine wrapped her arms around him, loving the feel of him, and a wave of pure liquid heat washed through her when she felt the insistent press of him low against her. The lights were all on but thankfully he had the curtains down, and she was fast letting go of her inhibitions. She'd never had sex with the lights on, anyway, and found that she wasn't nearly as self-conscious as she imagined she might be. It helped tremendously that he kept making comments about how desirable she was and how he couldn't keep his hands off of her.

His skin was hot and dark under her pale hands, and Nadine couldn't stand it anymore. The man was like a furnace – he positively radiated heat! She broke the kiss and tugged at his undershirt. Johnny lifted his arms over his head and tossed it away without a second thought, reaching for her again. Her breasts flattened against the hard plane of his chest and they were molded together from lips to thighs.

Nadine smoothed her hands down his shoulders, over his strong biceps, down his sides and over the rippling muscles of his chest and the finely chiseled ones of his abdomen. If only they'd gotten to study models like this back in Anatomy and Physiology – she'd have passed with flying colors. Or possibly failed miserably due to her drool washing away all her pencil marks.

She stopped at his belt buckle and drummed her fingers there. The delicate movements made Johnny growl and he looked down at her hands and then up at her, a silent dare in his eyes.

Nadine smirked and lifted her chin up a notch. The last time he dared her to do something, it was standing on a teeny tiny ledge twenty stories off the ground. This time, she'd answer his dare far more willingly.

She undid his belt and pulled it through the loops without breaking eye contact. His dark eyes smoldered at that, especially when she whipped the leather over her head and sent it singing to the floor. Again, keeping her gaze locked with his, Nadine undid the snap of his pants and 

lowered the zipper, practically shoving the black trousers to the bed in her haste to just feel him in her head.

Johnny bit his lip to stifle a groan and closed his eyes, his head lolling back just a little, when Nadine reached through his boxer briefs and wrapped her hand around him. He was warm and hard in her hand and she pumped him gently, fascinated when he groaned again. Hesitantly, not wanting to break the spell she seemed to have cast over him, Nadine leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the spot where his jaw met his neck. She trailed small, sweet kisses all along the line of his jaw, his chin, and then up the other side as she continued to alternate between stroking him and pumping him, her fingers moving frenetically under a layer of black cotton.

He was swearing now – dark, gritty, four-letter words – and Johnny reached down and wrapped his hand firmly around her wrist. "Enough."

Nadine gulped at the single word, hard and strangled, but needn't have worried. Johnny released her hand and cupped her chin, kissing her hard as he leaned into her. They toppled onto the mattress, and Nadine tucked her legs so that her pencil heels didn't score their legs. He kicked off his pants and boxers and moved over her, kissing every last inch of skin he could find with his lips.

Nadine sucked in a deep breath and arched into him, unable to believe the sensations he was causing to ripple through her. His hands moved lower and lower until he found that spot between her legs, and she had to curl her leg around him to alleviate the pressure. Gasping now, she tapped Johnny's shoulder insistently, finding when he looked at her that his eyes were as dark and turbulent as she assumed hers would be.

"Condom?"

He bit his lip and maneuvered his weight onto one hand long enough one to pull one out from under the pillow. She saw when he did so that two others peeked out as well. "Right here."

She pursed her lips and arched a brow at him. "Are you serious? Are you…just…serious?!"

"What?" Johnny shrugged and nipped at her lip, pulling out a couple more condoms from under the pillow and scattering them there. "I'm always prepared."

"Oh, jeez."

He laughed again, a rusty, heartwarming sound that made her blood hum even more, and eased himself down between her legs. Keeping himself braced on his knees, he tossed her the condom with one hand and barely managed to wait as she ripped it open. Johnny expected her to hand it back to him and was surprised when she reached down on her own, giving him a teasing stroke before she fitted him with the rubber, making sure to let her fingers stray and torture him even more.

Growling, Johnny brushed her hands away and nudged her down flat on the bed again. He kept himself braced above her, not breaking eye contact because he wasn't going to miss a second of this, and wrapped a hand around her knee. He lifted her leg easily, curling it around his waist and in one smooth motion, entered her.

Nadine's eyes widened, the pupil in the center expanding until the pale blue was nearly eclipsed by black. She reached for him, brushed her fingertips over his smooth cheek, and found him shaking almost imperceptibly. His brow was furrowed in concentration and he eased forward little by little once inside until he was buried to the hilt. Only then did he let out a little breath of relief and nuzzle her neck, his whispered words hot and reassuring in the cavern of her neck.

Nadine tilted her pelvis, bringing them even closer, and urged his hips along as they began to move in that ancient rhythm. Johnny moved smoothly, without any hesitation, without holding anything back. He moved with strength and assurance, pulling her along with him, and Nadine held on tightly. Her hands moved over his back, loving the feel of the smallest muscles there straining and moving, and just for fun, gave him a swift swat on the behind.

He retaliated by nipping at her shoulder, her nose, her lips, and Nadine prodded him into a slow, luxurious kiss even as their movements became more frenetic. His lips coupled with hers even as he reached down, stroking her one last time before the white pinprick in the center of her vision exploded in size, taking everything with it. She was dimly aware of crying out his name, but he smothered her call with his lips and moved his hips powerfully, rotating, thrusting, turning, until he stiffened and let go, then slowly relaxed half on top of her even as his hips continued to move in rhythm with hers, gradually slowing until they just rested, still and spent, next to each other.

Johnny smoothed a hand up and down her side as his eyelids drooped, just luxuriating in the feeling of lying with her. Whenever he was with Nadine, it was like nothing else mattered. She took up all his attention, all his focus, and instead of leaving exhausted and drained, he always felt refreshed and invigorated when they parted, ready to take on anything with the blunt and at the same time charming view of life she offered.

She turned her face into his, lightly scattering tiny kisses across his cheek, and Johnny could feel her smile.

"Hey, you."

"Mm?"

"Don't you fall asleep on me." She grinned and picked up two foil packets. "We've still got these left."


	59. 58

**The Right Girl 58**

_At Johnny's apartment..._

Her stomach growled loudly – so loudly in fact, that it woke up Johnny, who was dozing underneath her. Nadine was spooned up against his side, half on top of him, and he was flat on his back with one hand under his head and the other resting stubbornly on her bottom.

"Hey." She grinned and peppered his cheek with tiny kisses as she scratched his chest. "You awake?"

Johnny grumbled something and turned his face to hers, hoping to catch her lips with his own. "Mm?"

Nadine scratched his chest again, much like she scratched her super's cats behind their ears. "You wanna get me food?"

He cracked an eye open. "Food?"

She drummed her fingers against his chest, daring to move just a little lower. That would wake him up. "Uh-huh."

Johnny moaned something when she kissed his neck and curled into her, even as he twisted the lower half of his body away and swung his legs off the bed. "You wanna make up your mind?"

Nadine blinked. "About what?"

"Either you want me to get out of bed, or you don't. Figure it out."

She laughed and gave him a little shove. "Figured it out. Go get me food."

He groaned and sat up, letting the sheets slide off him. After scratching the back of his head for a minute and looking like he was working up the energy, he finally hopped off and shuffled around the bed, not bothered a bit by his nakedness. He didn't bother scrounging around on the floor for his clothes and instead just pulled a clean pair of boxers out of his dresser and stepped into them. He scratched his back and padded out of the room on bare feet.

Nadine watched him go, then propped herself up on her elbows until she was sitting up. She rearranged the pillows and leaned back against them, patting her tummy when it growled again. That boy sure knew how to help a girl work up an appetite.

Johnny appeared in the doorway with a smile and two covered dishes from the sumptuous dinner he'd had prepared for them. "It's kind of gotten cold."

"Who cares?" She scooted over and waited for him to join her. "Food's food. And I'm starving."

Johnny set the plates down on the nightstand and climbed up next to her. Nadine assumed he was going to hand her a plate so they could both eat, and was surprised when he pulled her half into his lap and brought one dish between them, before reaching for his fork.

"Ooh, what'd you have done up for us tonight?"

He pointed to the items with his utensils. "Angus beef pot roast with carrots, sliced mushrooms, celery, broccoli, and garlic ranch mashed potatoes." He quirked a smile at her. "I like meat."

"I figured," Nadine laughed, hiding her surprise well when he lifted a bite of roast to her mouth. "Did you know, when women need comfort food, they gravitate toward sweets. Men, on the other hand, crave protein. Meat."

"Didn't know that, but it makes sense." He chewed thoughtfully. "…You know, I'd have added a little more dill weed to the gravy. That's the thing when you have other people cook your food. Fortunately, Cook doesn't mind changing her style to my tastes."

She opened her mouth, and he fed her a piece of broccoli. "You really love to cook, huh? I remember being surprised you even knew how when you invited me over the first time."

"You mean when my sister ruined our swordfish dinner by insinuating we'd get tapeworms?" Johnny rolled his eyes. "I wanted to smack her."

Nadine laughed and rested her head against his shoulder as he ate. "She loves your cooking, though."

"She humors me," Johnny allowed with a smile. "She'll eat anything, as long as it looks gourmet. Oh! One time…" He twisted a little so that they were face to face with her still half in his lap.

"One time I went out and got those ninety-nine cent things of Kraft macaroni and cheese – you know, the kind in the blue box – and gave it to Cook to make for dinner. She sprinkled it with herbs and put it on a bed of decorative lettuce with a parsley and mint spring and served it to Claudie, and she couldn't even tell the difference. I made myself a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with milk, and she berated me all through dinner for my plebian tastes."

He speared another piece of the roast with his fork as she laughed, then carefully fed it to her. "That's the best. Ooh! Ooh! You know what we have to do sometime? Get her to eat Ramen Noodles! I _lived_ on that stuff during college and nursing school. Oh, my gosh, that's my new life goal: get your sister to eat Ramen Noodles."

Johnny grinned instantly. "We _have_ to do it. And you know, I think that if we break down her spirit beforehand, we can actually do it."

"How do you mean?"

"Well…" He jabbed at a carrot and popped it in his mouth. "I have it on excellent authority-"

"Reivers," she interpreted with a smile.

Johnny smirked back. "-that while I was gone, my sister was so bored and lonely that she didn't feel like making a big production about dinner. She ate alone in the kitchen, sometimes with Hayden, and once…"

He leaned in real close, as if they could have been heard. "…She was spotted eating half a thing of raw cookie dough. With the wrapper on. After midnight."

Nadine gasped. "No. No!"

"Yes," he grinned back. "I think we have a decent shot at getting her to unknowingly eat Ramen Noodles."

They spent the rest of 'dinner,' if it could even be called that at one in the morning, talking and laughing and catching up. It felt so good to be back to their familiar banter, and Nadine was relieved that things hadn't changed after they'd hit the sheets. Even though she was secure enough to know that they wouldn't, there was still a small part of her that wondered what they would be like afterwards. She was relieved to know that it was still just as easy, just as comfortable, just as fun.

They went through the first dish very quickly, and Nadine set the empty one on her side of the bed as he reached for the second. Once that was finished, they got out the Dutch apple crumble and the butter pecan ice cream, and after that, they found they could barely move.

Nadine tucked the sheet a little higher around her breasts – eating naked always gave her a complex, so she had been forever tugging at that sheet even as Johnny teased her – and rested her head against his shoulder. He was turned over on his side so that he was facing her, and idly skimmed his fingers up and down her side.

"Can I ask you something?"

His eyelids were starting to droop. "Yeah, sure."

"…Why did you go away for so long?"

Johnny's hand stilled and he slowly opened his eyes. She stared at him for a long moment, and he finally shifted, sitting up a little and moving so he was closer to her.

"It was something I needed to do," he told her softly. "I just…I needed some time after I broke things off with Lulu." He scratched the back of his head and grimaced. "I…I just didn't want you think that I jumped straight from her to you, because maybe…maybe in the back of your mind you'd think that one day I'd jump just as quickly from you to some other woman.:

Johnny reached out and brushed her hair away from her face when she frowned. "Look…I wanted to give you some time. Give us both some time. Lulu – she didn't give herself any time when she dumped a comatose Logan for me."

He didn't feel like talking about Lulu and could easily tell she didn't, either, so Johnny moved on quickly. "A lot happened right before I left. We found out about Jason's son. My sister almost got herself killed, and almost killed Elizabeth and Jake, too. Sonny went on a rampage. And you were caught up in all of it. After that, I wouldn't have blamed you if you wanted to just get out."

Her brows furrowed. "So was that what this path month was? A way to give me an easy way out?"

Johnny shook his head adamantly. "No, no. Not at all. I wanted us both to have some time to cool down, to decompress from all that. Not even everything with Sonny and Jason and Claudia and Elizabeth, but with us. I wanted you to be able to think about everything that happened between us without the added pressure of me hanging around. I don't know, to come to some realization about me and what you wanted regarding me…or didn't want."

Nadine understood what he was saying and lightly traced the outline of his lips with her fingertip. "…Were you coming to any realizations like that about me?"

"No." He caught her hand when she pulled it away and linked their fingers, grinning. "…Because I've known for some time that I wanted you."

She closed her eyes when he kissed her lazily, letting his lips linger there so she could taste his words.

"I never stopped thinking of you while I was away, Nadine. You were never far from my thoughts."

Nadine smiled against his mouth. "Your gifts kind of gave that away." She pulled back a little and gazed up at him. "I loved all your surprises."

He kissed her again, lazily this time, and rolled so he was half on top of her, stretched along the length of her. "And I love the ones you left for me."

She smiled when he nuzzled her cheek and let his hand drift lower along her body, and Johnny's eyes sparkled.

"And the ones you give me all the time. You're just full of surprises, you know."


	60. 59

**The Right Girl 59**

The weekend had been _amazing_.

Johnny Zacchara let out a relieved grunt as he let himself into the house and slumped against the door. He was worn out, a little sore, very hungry, and perfectly content.

Saturday night, he'd finally gotten to bang the hell out of the woman that had occupied his thoughts for months. While the purely masculine beast in him was constantly reliving their many bouts of lovemaking, the hopeless romantic in him was over the moon that he got to have it all with Nadine: the great sex, the trustworthy partner, and his best friend. He didn't even remember when he began to think of her as his best friend, but knew there was no one else that even came close.

They'd fallen asleep again after their midnight dinner on Saturday night, and Johnny woke up Sunday morning to Nadine whispering all sorts of naughty things in his ear as her hand danced lower and lower under the covers. With nothing else to do (nothing else that they cared to do, anyway) they spent the whole day talking, dozing, and getting busy. Johnny was able to almost make up for his sexual frustration in the past few months by taking Nadine in his bed, on the floor, in the shower, on one of his black armchairs, and even against the door just for the hell of it. And she'd enjoyed herself tremendously, if the still-raw cuts on his back from her nails were any indication.

He sighed happily and pushed himself away from the door. He needed a shower and breakfast – or perhaps lunch, since it was almost noon – but figured he might as well check in with his sister first. She was sitting in her office and looked up in disgust as he sauntered into the room.

"Oof. Look what the cat dragged in."

Johnny rolled his eyes and moved around the desk, flipping a lock of her hair between his fingers just to bother her. "Any messages for me?"

"In the drawer." Claudia watched him carefully as he reached around her, humming under his breath, and picked out the scraps of paper covered in her neat scrawl. "Ew. Back up, buddy. Don't get any of that on me – I just dry-cleaned this blouse."

He frowned down at her. "Don't get any of 'what' on you?"

"That…" She waved her hand in his face. "Happiness. Shmoopiness. Whatever it is that you call that goofy look on your face. Ew."

Johnny smiled indulgently. "What, so I'm not allowed to be happy?"

"You're allowed to be happy," Claudia replied, troubled when his smile turned into one of his signature wide, toothy grins. "But you're not allowed to be…that. Weird. Looking. You know. Like you're about to burst into song at any moment."

"I'm not about to burst into song."

"Yes, and I thank the gods for that."

Johnny rifled through his messages and sighed. "You got something to say, Claudia, just say it. Because I'm getting bored."

She pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowing. "…You slept with her, didn't you?"

His dark eyes flicked to hers. "You really wanna know?"

"…No."

"Okay."

A moment of silence.

"Well?"

Johnny looked up again. "Well, what?"

"Did you sleep with her or not?"

He let out an exasperated breath. "I thought you didn't want to know."

"I don't," his sister replied. "But you have to tell me."

"So do you want me to tell you or to stay quiet about it?"

"Stay quiet about it."

"Okay."

"No, I changed my mind, tell me."

He planted his hands on his hips. "You know, I'm starting to wonder why I even talk to you at all."

"Tell me," she insisted, jabbing a finger at him almost wistfully, "but lie."

"Okay. Um…" Johnny frowned and looked this way and that. "…No, I did not."

Claudia leaned forward just a little. "But you did, right?"

"Oh, my God!" He threw his hands up in the air and backed away, shaking his head. "They're all right about you – you're absolutely crazy, you know that? Yes, yes, I slept with Nadine, is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No." She crinkled her nose. "I wanted you to lie to me about it. Shit, now I'm picturing it. I don't want to picture it!"

"For the love of…" Johnny planted his hands on his hips and glared at her. "You got anything else to say?"

"Actually, yes." Claudia shoved her papers back into her files and tidied up the desk before standing. "But I have a meeting with Edward Quartermaine in a few, so I can't talk long. He fawns all over me and calls me 'little lady' and I like it."

"Calling you a sociopath would be more appropriate," he grumbled.

She silenced him with a look. "I just want to say…look, don't take this the wrong way."

Johnny sent her a sickly smile. "Oh, I _love _conversations that start out like that."

Claudia's lips settled into a peevish line. "Just watch yourself, okay? I know that for the past year or whatever, you've moved on from sleeping with – I don't know – lingerie models to trying this monogamous thing, and the thing with you is…"

She shook her head. "You always get so passionate and swept away and starry-eyed and romantic and sentimental, and it drives me crazy."

He pulled a face. "I do not get all starry-eyed and sentimental."

"What do you think when you picture her face? Answer quickly, no thinking."

"How her eyes sparkle like gemstones when she's happy or excited."

"See?" Claudia tilted her head to the side. "Do you see? Sentimental and sappy and just…ugh. No self-respecting man thinks in gemstones."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "We better put that on the family crest."

"John." She stopped him before he could turn away. "I know you're enjoying this and that's good, you should, but I don't want you to get all caught up in yourself here. Don't take too big a leap without looking first. Be careful what you do and just keep your head on your shoulders."

He was frowning at her now, both confused and irritated. "I thought you liked Nadine."

Her mouth fell into an indignant 'o' as his older sister gaped at him. "I never once said that! Don't you dare hold me to that!"

Claudia rolled her eyes when he glared. "Okay, fine. Look, it's not so much that I _like_ her. Because she still talks too much and she's still weird, but…she holds some promise. _Some_."

Johnny wasn't following. "Care to elaborate?"

She sighed heavily, trying to put it into words the best she could. "…Nadine is like my favorite pair of red shoes. They've got this silver buckle on them, and it's kind of oversized, so they're a little funky and a little edgy, you know? But they're red with clean lines and a straight pencil heel, so there's something traditional and timeless about them, too. I can wear them with anything, no matter what, and still look put together. And I bought them off the rack, not from a major design house or anything, and I didn't have them custom-made like I sometimes do."

Claudia tilted her head to the side and continued indulging the metaphor as her little brother stared at her. "And they fit a little weird at first, but the more I forced myself to tolerate them and walk around in them, they broke in and are just fine now. That's what Nadine's like."

His jaw had dropped, and Johnny could only sputter angrily. "You are _not_ breaking in my girlfriend!"

"Fine, I won't," she answered testily, arching a brow at him. "As long as you don't either."

He just stared at her, completely bewildered. "What does that even mean?"

"Look." She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples. "Just…Just don't get all stupid all of a sudden, all right? I've seen you get stupid with Lulu, claiming she's the only one you'll ever love and that you want to be with her forever, yadda, yadda, and forever wasn't nearly as long as you thought it was. Don't get all stupid in this relationship with Vacuum Girl."

"Claud-"

"Don't start immediately thinking that she's the one and do something stupid," she cut him off, not flinching away from his gaze. "Because you're still young, you're powerful, you're wealthy, I'm told you're good-looking, and you can have anything you want in life. Don't tie yourself down, John.

"And for God's sake," she added, hissing, "whatever you do, be smart. Because the damned _last_ thing I need is a dark-haired, corn-pone little kid hopped up on moonshine, bouncing around this house and calling me Aunt Claudie. I am too young and _too_ hot for that shit."

His anger melted away and Johnny laughed aloud as she playfully smacked him upside the head. "And you should be way too smart for that at this point in your life."

He caught her hand and trapped it between both of his, and even though his eyes twinkled with amusement, the serious note in his voice could not be denied. "So are you going to try to break me and Nadine up like you tried to break me and Lulu up? If so, seek help."

Claudia rolled her eyes and smiled. "No, I'm not going to do that. Nothing like that. Believe it or not, I actually like that you're growing into yourself now. And that Nadine helped you get there."

She pulled her hand from his and ran it through her hair, sighing. Claudia knew that she was coming off as a bitch about her brother and Nadine and, much to her surprise and disappointment, that honestly bothered her just a little.

"Look, try to remember that my first loyalty is always going to be to you as the head of this family. As the guarantor of our legacy. I don't want anything or anyone stopping you from getting to the top, no matter how nice or sensible or sweet she is. Or he is. This someone. Or something."

Johnny tilted his head to the side, his gaze heavy-lidded but earnest. "Did you ever consider that having someone like that in my life could _help_ me reach the top instead of hindering me?"

Claudia was silent for a moment before her lips relaxed into a small, sad smile, and she reached out and patted his cheek.

"…And that's the big difference between you and me."


	61. Epilogue

**Note – **Please read the Author's Note at the end. It's got some cool stuff in it that my TRG and Nohnny loving friends are sure to love.

**The Right Girl Epilogue**

_At Crimson Manor…_

"Thank you, Reivers." Claudia smiled and took the sheet he extended, setting it down on a growing pile on her desk before handing him another. "Will you tell him to sign this one on all the marked lines, please?"

The butler took the paper and shot her a wry look. "I trust the next thing you'll want me to take up to him will be the Sunday crossword?"

Her dark eyes lit up. "Good idea. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"Always happy to earn my keep, Miss," Reivers drawled as he left the office, closing the doors behind him.

Claudia hummed to herself and went about rearranging her files. With Johnny now in control of the business, there was little else for her to do but keep everything organized. He let her keep the larger offices and did most of his work upstairs, so she could spread out all the documents and the contracts and files the way she wanted to without worrying.

Her new, somewhat secretarial role didn't bother her in the slightest. With more time now to devote to this sort of thing, she was able to monitor the family's holdings and profits better. Whenever she found a more effective way of doing something, she set about fixing it and informed Johnny once it was all taken care of, which he appreciated.

Besides, Claudia didn't figure she'd stick around forever. She left the business back in Milan in capable hands, and her Uncle Rudy was getting on in years and just wanted to get rid of it, anyway. The business in Italy was already pretty much legitimate, anyway; she'd dismantled the worst of it and distributed the rest to loyal associates there, leaving just enough for her uncle to comfortably control with one or two of her right-hand men there. If she ever felt like returning to sun-kissed Tuscany, that part of the business would be waiting for her and she'd be more than happy to run it again.

The business here was picking up well. It was still a little shaky, a little unstable, but the Zacchara siblings found that once they worked together, they were a formidable team. Claudia had the experience and the inside knowledge while Johnny had the sharp instincts, charisma, and the ability to play things cool and cautious until he saw his advantage and took it.

He settled into his new role as the head of the family very well despite Claudia's concerns. Johnny was getting serious with Nadine, but that wasn't saying a whole lot: he'd been serious about her even before they first slept together. He made even more frequent trips to Port Charles 

and Claudia knew that if Johnny wasn't anywhere to be found, she only needed to stop off at the fifth floor hub at General Hospital to find him bunny-kissing his girlfriend.

It was disgusting.

But, to be fair, he was a little too macho to bunny-kiss Nadine. Ever.

But it was still disgusting. Public displays of affection had never been Claudia's thing, and when John indulged in that sort of thing, it made her gag. Probably because she'd never be able to look at him without seeing the cherub-faced but deathly serious little boy hunched over his wooden piano, his newest penned melody both innocent and beleaguered.

That serious little boy, though, had come a long way. He found balance in his life and did what he could to maintain it. And Claudia figured that if anything, his new girlfriend only helped matters; Nadine was a very grounded, moderately sensible girl with a good head on her shoulders. She wasn't into melodramatics, she wasn't fanciful, and she wasn't materialistic, nor did she crave danger and excitement so much that she actively went about creating it for herself. She complemented Johnny perfectly, and they had already settled into a comfortable routine.

So much so, actually, that Claudia had taken to calling them a cute little agoraphobic old couple. Neither one seemed to mind. Either that or they were ignoring her, which was never acceptable.

"All done, Miss." Reivers let himself back into the office and walked toward her, holding the signed sheet. "Here we are, then."

She took it from him and added it to the pile without glancing at it. "Okay, here, take this form next. Wait about four minutes. Or, you know what? You decide how many minutes. You're a pro at this by now."

"Assuredly, Miss," he drawled. "Harvard University is considering conferring upon me an Honorary Doctorate in the Canooding Habits of Young Adults. I consider it an exceptional honor."

Claudia laughed, but the sound died in her throat when the doors to her office were kicked open and an irate Johnny stormed in. He was wearing socks, no boots, and his green hoodie was rumpled and looked as if it had quickly been pulled on.

"What the _hell_ is your problem?!"

She blinked at him innocently. "What? I'm just trying to help you run the business. There are things you need to sign."

"Now?!" he burst out, throwing his hands in the air. "Nadine just got back from a week-long conference in the city, and you're telling me that all these forms need to be signed now? The last one was a credit card application! I don't need a new credit card!"

"My mistake," Claudia allowed graciously. "I thought you did. Oh, well. You wouldn't need a student loan by any chance, would you? Or new windows and siding? Or…let's see…twelve issues of _Glamour _for 1 each, along with a free purse?"

Johnny scowled ferociously at her. "Don't push me, Claudia. And stop purposely trying to sabotage the time I spend with Nadine."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not purposely sabotaging anything. Do I think that you two should hold hands and put two straws in your milkshake instead of going at it like junkyard rabbits in our house? Sure. Am I trying to sabotage you? Absolutely not. You have to sign this."

"I don't want a free fucking purse."

Claudia frowned and pitched the card over her shoulder as Reivers looked gravely back and forth between the warring siblings. "Fine. Then sign this."

"That's a coupon for a nine dollar haircut."

"Oh." She pitched it over her shoulder as well, and this time actually looked at a paper before she held it out to him. "This one. Definitely."

"This is the last one I sign, Claudia," he warned her, reaching for it. He glared at both her and his butler, his message clear. "And Reivers, as the head of the house, you take your orders from me. Do not disturb me for the rest of the day. In fact, take the day off. Understood?"

"Yes, Master John."

"That means," he continued, snatching the pen she held out to him as he turned back to his unrepentant sister, "that if you want some stupid form signed, you come deliver it yourself. And if you do that, you'll regret it. I promise you. What the hell am I signing?"

Johnny frowned at the form, skimming quickly, and signed his name on the line before tossing it at his sister. When he turned, Claudia stopped him by holding out another and batting her lashes pleadingly.

"No, Claudie. Remember what I said. Reivers, dismissed."

She stuck her lip out in a pout as the butler removed himself from the room, but Claudia's dark eyes danced with mirth.

"You're awful, you know that? Bald, tumor-riddled children are crying even harder than usual because you want to kiss your girlfriend instead of buying them a new play place."

Johnny scowled and yanked the form from her, blindly scrawling his name on the line, and the one underneath it, as Claudia tented her fingers and smiled.

"I win."

"Shut up, Claudie. You win nothing."

* * *

_At the Emily Quartermaine-Cassidine Memorial Foundation…_

"First off, I would like to thank all of you that came tonight to help me honor my late fiancé, Miss Emily Bowen Quartermaine, and give tribute to her memory by supporting our foundation."

Nikolas raised his champagne flute to the room, and all the gathered guests smiled back at him. "Especially those among our esteemed guests that made arrangements to fly into town to be here tonight. It means very much to me, to the people of Port Charles, and, I'm certain, Emily."

Claudia Zacchara, dressed in a long black gown with bronze embellishments, smirked to herself as she and one of her many business partners, Edward Quartermaine, surveyed the room. Almost all the guests that had flown in from out of town – rich executives, socialites, philanthropists, all part of the Cassidine Prince's extensive network of well-heeled associates and acquaintances – were staying at the Port Charles Hotel instead of the MetroCourt. With Claudia's backing, Edward was able to renovate and expand the hotel and restaurant, and being the marketing genius he was, he ran an excellent campaign to make sure it was the best-rated hotel in town. Claudia spread the word through various social circles that the upper echelon was said to be slumming by staying at the blandly decorated MetroCourt, and so the wealthier guests made sure to make arrangements with the Quartermaine-owned hotel before flying out.

Carly's hotel saw a 19 loss in profits with projections showing that number to only increase if the trend continued, and that made Claudia very, very happy. Edward wasn't all that upset, either.

"I would like to thank the wonderful, talented, and compassionate staff of doctors and nurses here at General Hospital," Nikolas continued, smiling in particular at Elizabeth, Robin, Leyla, and Patrick, "for their endless expertise and their selfless eagerness to help me see this project through to what it is today. Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan, one of my childhood friends, Doctor Robin Scorpio, soon-to-be-Drake, a trusted advisor, and Doctor Patrick Drake, one of the most respected young neurosurgeons in this country and someone I respect and admire personally. I am indebted to this fine group of men and women, as are the people of this town."

Jason and Johnny, who somehow had ended up standing next to each other, clapped along with the rest of the group.

"And I would like to give particular thanks, along with my heartfelt gratitude, to two very special people in the audience. Mister John Zacchara and Miss Nadine Crowell."

A few months ago, Nadine's first instinct at being called out like that in public would have been to cringe and try to hide. But she'd learned a few things from her charismatic boyfriend and among them was how to graciously accept praise and attention. She and Johnny smiled graciously at the evening's host as well as all the gathered guests.

"As most of you are aware, I was diagnosed with a potentially deadly brain tumor which I had removed three months ago," Nikolas continued. "It was a risky procedure, and Nadine Crowell was among the medical staff at this hospital that risked her career and her freedom in trying to save my life. She was my nurse during my initial diagnosis and treatment as well as during my post-operation recovery and rehabilitation. I consider her a valued, cherished friend, and she was a big inspiration for this project and never stopped encouraging me to find a way to honor the woman I will love for the rest of my life."

He turned slightly, refusing to let his emotions get the better of him, and tipped his head at Johnny. "Mister John Zacchara, one of my fellow board members here. He helped ensure that all my proposals passed through the board with little to no fuss or delay, and shared my eagerness in opening this foundation to the public as soon as possible. He worked closely with me since I outlined my proposal, and offered legal advice as well as additional funding for the venture. His dedication, his focus, and his inability to accept anything less than required will not be forgotten."

Johnny looked down at Nadine, smiling when she beamed up at him, as the guests clapped their hands together once more. Nikolas was known for his lengthy speeches and toasts, and no one ever held it against him. In this case, his verbosity was appropriate: there were so many people involved in getting Emily's foundation up and running and ready to serve the underprivileged people of Port Charles.

He slipped his arm around her waist, careful to keep the gesture discreet and low-key, and felt warmed when she leaned into his embrace as much as was proper at an outing like this.

The past two months after he got back from his self-inflicted sojourn had been wonderful. They'd taken their relationship public almost immediately, neither one concerned about how it would make them look. The gossip columnists and townspeople would still whisper about how he unceremoniously dumped Lulu and moved on so quickly, and they would still twitter about how she was always keen to sink her hooks into the youngest Spencer's man, but none of that mattered to either of them.

Johnny and Nadine knew the truth about their relationship and how they came together, and that was good enough for them. And they had their core group of almost-friends including Spinelli, Maxie, Claudia, Elizabeth for Nadine and even a reluctant Jason for an equally wary Johnny. Everything had come together quite well and neither the mobster nor the nurse had any complaints or any thoughts on how they would have done things differently.

They came to each other in their own time, after a few false starts and premature endings, and it worked for them. It was their business, so the rumblings truly didn't bother them. They still got strange looks sometimes, but for the most part, people were used to seeing them kissing at the 

hub or letting their legs brush together under their table at Kelly's. In a few more weeks, they wouldn't even merit a second glance and the gossips would move on to their next target. That was just how things worked in their sleepy little ocean-side hamlet.

This evening was just one of the many public events they attended together. Nadine was now slowly getting used to being expected to appear at such things and found that she rather enjoyed it. She never had much of a reason to get dressed up before and lived comfortably in her rut, going from her apartment to the hospital and back again without a second thought. Now, she was wearing designer dresses (that Claudia MADE her buy using Johnny's money no matter how much Nadine tried to resist) and mingling with different people at least once a week. And it was kind of fun, really.

Nadine had even attended her first business function the week before. Johnny had given her basic pointers – smile politely at everyone, let the men kiss her hand, never give away any kind of personal information about him, herself, Claudia, or their relationships – and left it at that, but Claudia had worked with her tirelessly. She selected Nadine's outfit, a pretty champagne-colored silk gown with a sweetheart neckline and a pair of killer heels that, amazingly enough, brought the whole look tougher, and even decided how she'd wear her hair. Once those details were ironed out, Claudia gave her a quick rundown of all the people she'd meet there and even role-played a couple different scenarios with her until Nadine was a little more confident that she could handle herself among the mobsters and racketeers.

Galas like this one weren't even a big deal anymore. This one was surprisingly intimate, and she always felt comfortable around Nikolas, Elizabeth, Leyla, and, of course, her boyfriend and his sister. There was nothing to be nervous about here, so Nadine could just concentrate on having a good time and supporting her friend.

He was smiling at her from across the room as the guests mingled, and Nadine let Johnny and Jason talk and moved over toward him. Nikolas's smile grew, and he let out a contented sigh.

"This is good, don't you think?"

"Very good," Nadine agreed, looking out over the room with him. "She'd be so happy with you, Nikolas, for what you've done."

"This was what she wanted to do with her life," he murmured. "Help people. And this way, she gets to. So much good will be done in this town in her name."

"I'm absolutely sure there will." She looked up in time to see Johnny saunter over to her and the prince. "Hey, you."

"Hey." He shook Nikolas's hand warmly and then linked his fingers with Nadine's. Whenever they went out in public, Johnny was aware of the looks she sometimes got for being with him. Their close proximity, like when he held her close or whispered in her ear or even let his fingers graze hers, went a long way in sending those idiots a message. He didn't want anyone hassling Nadine or looking at her like that just because she chose to be with him.

"Thanks for everything you said."

Nikolas shook his head. "Don't thank me. You've already done so much for me, anyway, and I meant every word of what I said. You're free to meet with me next week, right? I haven't checked in with my secretary yet, so I didn't get your reply."

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, I've set aside the time. I've got some great contacts that will help you work through the red tape and secure even more funds for this place. If this is a marked success…who knows? We can get the ball rolling on expanding this institution and working with hospitals in other districts to bring the same sorts of programs to the local constituents, even work to get it going on a much larger level. This could be really big, but we start with the small steps."

The Prince nodded. "I'll bring my legal representation along as well. Should be an interesting meeting."

Johnny looked like he was about to say something but frowned instead when he felt his phone buzz. He fished it out of his pocket and flashed them a regretful look. "Sorry, but I've gotta take this."

They excused him without a second thought, and Nadine had just turned to Nikolas to ask him if he was serious about the offer for her to be the one to run the institution under him when she felt something brush against her arm. Looking over, Nadine almost groaned aloud when she saw Claudia, flute in hand, smiling smugly at the prince.

Her brown eyes twinkled as she nudged Nadine. Next to the nurse, Nikolas shot her a curious but intrigued look. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

* * *

_Nadine's apartment…_

"Can I put these in?" Johnny waited for her to nod before he closed the top on a tupperware container of baby carrots and celery sticks and set it inside the picnic basket that Nadine had wrapped up in a white box and put in his apartment about eight months ago. The sunglasses she'd included with that gift were clipped to his shirt, and Nadine's were on her head, keeping her hair out of her face as she finished packing up their lunch.

"That's what I love about fried chicken," she said happily, wrapping it up twice in tinfoil before handing the whole thing to Johnny. "It's just as good cold as it is hot."

He wrinkled his nose. "You sure I can't have goat cheese-stuffed chicken with broiled peaches or something delivered to us there?"

"No." She kissed his chin and moved past him to get the napkins and paper towels. "We have perfectly good food right here, and do you know how much money you'd be wasting? Forget the cost of the food, think of the gas money. And besides, I don't trust goat cheese in this heat. It's why I didn't bring anything that required mayonnaise. We'd just be begging for food poisoning."

"But I _like_ goat cheese-stuffed-"

"Yeah, I know." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her cheek against his chest as Johnny lazily slung an arm across her shoulders as he finished rearranging the food in the basket. He was wearing just his jeans and a white t-shirt, and Nadine loved it when he dressed down. She loved him in his suits, too, but the best part about seeing Johnny in a custom-made Italian suit was fantasizing about ripping it off of him.

"But today, you get cold fried chicken." Nadine rubbed his stomach and grinned when he smirked down at her. "Nothing goes better with fast cars than cold fried chicken. Trust me on that."

Johnny laughed despite himself. "Hey, I know a few things about fast cars, myself."

"Yes, but not about the country," she smiled. "Don't forget, you're with a bona-fide farm girl now. Isn't that a popular fantasy for guys?"

He rolled his eyes, still smirking. "You're a farm girl from the Midwest, you know."

"Eh, the country's the country, whether it's Ohio or upstate New York." Nadine let him go and clapped excitedly. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun today! Shoot, I have to go change. This is what you get for showing up early – you throw off my whole schedule. Do me a favor and pack the cooler for me while I get ready?"

He nodded and she set her white sunglasses on the counter, trotting off to her bedroom. Johnny closed up the picnic basket and placed her shades on top so she wouldn't forget, then dragged the cooler out from the cabinet under the sink.

He whistled to himself as he pulled the ice bin from the freezer. Nadine had set the ice maker on last night and so the tub was full, and he emptied all of it into the cooler and then put the bin back. It would be a quarter full by the time they left, so he'd be able to top the thing off. He went about pulling bottles of beer, hard lemonade (Nadine loved it in the summer), soda cans, and water from the refrigerator and filled the cooler.

Johnny had just finished snapping the thing shut and was crouched on the floor when Nadine exited her bedroom. She closed the door and fluffed her hair, and Johnny tilted his head and swept a look of pure masculine appreciation over her. The normally laid-back nurse was wearing a pair of short denim shorts with a red plaid shirt that she tied at her waist. It rode up a little when she lifted her arms, flashing a tantalizing expanse of her toned abdomen. Her white flip-flops matched the sunglasses that Nadine once again put on her head, sweeping her bangs away 

as Johnny watched her languidly. That was one of the most endearing things about his girlfriend: she hardly ever noticed when she looked good enough to ogle like he was doing now.

"You done?" Her back was to him and he got a lovely view of her bottom as she bent to pick up the road map and her I-Pass from the coffee table. "Let's load everything in the car. Oh! Before I forget – a change of clothes for us in case we get wet or muddy or something. Be right back. I'm going to grab your shorts and boxers, okay?"

"T-shirt, too, please. And if I left my sandals here, grab those, too."

Nadine nodded and scurried back to her bedroom. She and Johnny spent about an equal amount of time at her apartment and his by now, so they had spare changes of clothes in both places. She grabbed the necessary things and shoved them in her little backpack, then came out and threw it next to the cooler as Johnny hefted the picnic basket.

"We missing anything?"

She thought about it and snapped her fingers. "Road snacks!"

Her boyfriend put down the basket and opened the cabinet, grabbing a couple mini-boxes of cereal. "Got it covered."

"Nice," Nadine grinned. She handed him her license, her insurance information, and her credit card for him to keep in his wallet since she wasn't bringing a purse. Discreetly, she tucked a wad of bills into her back pocket; if Johnny saw, he'd once again insist that when they went out, he paid for things and she didn't want to get into that. "Let's go."

A knock on the door interrupted them just as they bent to pick up their things, and Johnny and Nadine frowned at each other.

"Who could that be?"

"I don't know, you expecting anyone?"

"My other boyfriend, but he was supposed to come over later tonight." She smirked when he rolled his eyes and moved toward the door. "I'll get it. Hello – Oh."

Nadine pulled the door wide open and Johnny arched a brow at his sister. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"You stole my car," she burst out, storming into the small apartment. "I had to track you down here and drive all the way over, so give me the keys."

"What?" He pulled a face. "No. No way, we're taking the car out."

"Take the car I drove over here."

"Which one did you bring?"

"The Benz."

"The Benz?" He groaned and planted his hands on his hips. "Are you kidding? You want me to race the Benz on a dust track instead of the Tesla?"

Claudia's nose crinkled. "You're going to do that?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"…Because it's fun," Johnny said slowly, as if he were explaining something to a child. "You know, tiny sports cars, country race track, dust roads, no rules or speed limits. Rural charm, homemade lunch, a cheesy carnival, fireworks. Fun."

"Oh, God," she grimaced, her expression turning most foul. "You've got a little tisket-tasket-picnic-basket and everything. Daisy Duke over there is turning your mind to mush."

"Good to see you, too, Claudia," Nadine smiled, picking up a small red box. "Lucky Charms?"

"I hate everything about you."

"More for me, then."

Johnny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms defiantly. "You're not getting the Tesla. I picked that car specifically for today, and our plans revolve around it."

"But it's mine! What, you think I got it detailed and realigned for you?"

"I think that I'm the one with the keys."

Claudia stomped her foot. "You always do this to me. I have a meeting tonight in Manhattan and I'm not showing up in the stupid Benz. I'd rather die. Give me the keys to the McLaren."

"But that's mine!"

"Tit for tit, buddy."

"That is _not_ the expression."

"Well, it should be." She held out her hand impatiently and Johnny finally sighed. He got out his keys and reluctantly took out the one for the car she wanted and placed it in her palm."

"If you scratch my car with your crazy driving-"

"And if you have sex in _my_ car with your crazy girlfriend-"

"Fine," he interrupted loudly as Claudia sent him a sickly smile. "Deal. Just…shut up. And go away."

"I want something cold to drink first," she replied snippily, tilting her head and looking behind him. "…Is that a cooler?"

Nadine smiled and moved toward it while Johnny scowled. "What do you want? Water, soda, lemonade?"

"Water's fine." She took the bottle and cracked it open, taking a sip. "How long will you guys be out of town?"

"We'll probably make a night of it," Johnny admitted slowly. "It'll be too late to drive all the way back home, so we might find a place there to crash, be home sometime late tomorrow morning or afternoon if we decide to have breakfast there."

"You two are disgusting."

"We're going to load up the car," he informed her dryly. "Feel free to show yourself out."

She would have, but Claudia heard her phone buzzing in her purse just then and reached for it, turning around and heading into the living room. It amazed her that Nadine could live in a place where the couch was about three paces away from the stove. Was there even a single spot in this apartment where the television wasn't visible?

"Hello?" She tucked her pocketbook under her arm as Johnny and Nadine did a quick, final run-through of their things. "Who is this? Spencer, is that you? Did you get a hold of His Royal Highness's phone? His Royal – _His Royal Highness. Your father_. You know, you see him every day, he pats you on the head and tells you you're a good boy? No, that's Alfred. He's your butler. No, I don't know what a Caillou is, and frankly, I resent the question."

Johnny rolled his eyes as he moved past her, piling all their things by the door as Nadine grabbed the blanket and his hoodie from her couch.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me." Claudia turned away, but not before they saw her smile. "I think he got into your speed-dial menu and found me. No, no problem. Actually – no, I'm actually in town today. Yeah, at Nurse Girl's place. Chased my brother here, trying to get my damn car. Right now? Uh, nothing much."

She moved around the coffee table, toward the corner of the room by the end table as Nadine made sure the oven and all her appliances were turned off.

"I've gotta be out of town by four-thirty, five at the latest, but I'm free until then. Yeah. Yeah, sure, love to. Okay, I'll meet you there. Bye. Oh!"

She had bumped into an end table when she hung up with Nikolas and all three of them cringed when they heard glass shatter. Nadine had washed the bottle of sparkling apple cider that Johnny sent to her on Valentine's Day and stuck a bunch of flowers in it, and Claudia had just knocked to the floor.

Johnny pulled the door open and backed out with their things, and Nadine sent Claudia a no-nonsense look as she followed him out.

"The vacuum's in the closet over there. See you tomorrow, Claudia."

Johnny and Nadine both grinned as the older woman scowled and shut the door, leaving her alone in the apartment with shards of green glass at her feet.

**The End.**

* * *

**Author's Note – **

Thank you to everyone who has read and replied to this. _The Right Girl _was my first little experiment in which I asked myself, can Huma write for a couple other than Liason and not have it suck outright? I'm told that, in fact, I can. :-P

Someone made a comment after the smutty chapter that I really liked: she said that sex scenes were fairly standard. You could use Word to Find + Replace names and voila, you've got a smut chapter for another couple entirely. But this smut chapter would only work for Johnny and Nadine because it was so true to their characters as they were in this story. I really liked that and I agree: this fic could only have been Johnny and Nadine.

One of my biggest concerns when writing this was having the characters be too much like Jason and Elizabeth, my favorite General Hospital couple. The gentle, no-pressure conversations, the midnight ride along Cliff Road, the whole good-girl-bad-boy thing, it was all Jason and Elizabeth. I didn't want Johnny and Nadine to be like them, but at the same time, I didn't want to consciously write them to be the opposite of them, if that makes sense. I just wanted to let this story work on its own as it would, and I'm so pleased that these characters are their own, and this story is theirs. It wouldn't even work for a much younger version of Liason, when Elizabeth was feisty and smart and just a little silly. No, this is all Johnny and Nadine's.

Thank you to everyone at Solo Ensemble, Black and White, and in the Johnny and Nadine thread at (first) the Canvas (though that thread has been deleted and is no longer there) and then more importantly at the Road to Nowhere for your support and encouragement. I really enjoyed writing this story not only for myself, which has become the singular case over the past two 

years regarding me and fanfiction, but also for the rest of you. I loved it when you were excited, I love it when you were frustrated, I loved it when you were contented.

Thank you for letting me share my story for a non-existent (as of yet) couple on General Hospital.

Though _The Right Girl_ is over, I don't entirely feel that Johnny and Nadine's story is over. I can't write a sequel for them because there isn't that much left over, but I do have ideas for what I call _The Right Girl One Shots. _


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